Foundations 19 – Infrastructure Space

Highly Commended – AUB Lebanon

Biochar – A Smart Solution for Greener Construction, Beirut, Lebanon

Rayan Mourad from the Amer- ican University of Beirut (AUB, Lebanon) studied the replace- ment of sand by biochar in concrete production. Biochar is a carbonic by-product of waste pyrolysis, a form of recycling. The project shows new forms of building with concrete as well as opportunities for envi- ronmental improvement and economic development. Using biochar in concrete is a way to optimize waste recycling in Lebanon; it can create new job markets and applications. The project also helps reduce the extraction, transport, and con- sumption of sand.

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