Manufacturing traditional cement for concrete accounts for nearly 8% of global CO₂ emissions, making it one of the largest industrial contributors to climate change. At the same time, the growing urgency of climate resilience demands housing capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds and wildfires. Addressing both challenges, Eco Material Technologies (South Jordan, Utah; www.ecomaterial.com) has developed a low-carbon cement designed for additive manufacturing of residential housing.
In partnership with HIVE3D Builders (Houston, Texas; www.hive3dbuilders.com), Eco Material is using its innovative PozzoCEM® geopolymer cement to construct 3D-printed houses near Austin, Texas. Made from fly ash—a co-product of coal-based power generation composed mainly of silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, and iron oxide—PozzoCEM undergoes a proprietary pre-treatment process that transforms it into a powdered material capable of replacing ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The cement is pumped through 3D printing heads to build housing walls layer by layer.
Fly ash has long been used to partially replace OPC, enhancing durability while lowering carbon impact. However, Eco Material has advanced this substitution from just 20% up to 50% or more. Its earlier product, PozzoSlag®, has already been in commercial use for over a decade, proving the company’s track record in sustainable concrete innovation.
PozzoCEM offers key advantages:
- Rapid cure time: Each layer hardens within an hour, enabling efficient 3D printing of houses.
- Ultra-low carbon footprint: With no CO₂-emitting calcium-carbonate-to-calcium-oxide reaction and far lower heating needs than OPC, PozzoCEM achieves a 93% reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional cement.
- Cost-effectiveness: Currently less expensive than specialty 3D-printing cements, with further reductions expected as adoption scales.
Unlike traditional OPC, which is unsuitable for 3D printing, PozzoCEM is paving the way for sustainable, resilient, and affordable housing solutions that align with the global transition toward low-carbon construction.
