Other than water, Portland cement concrete is the most widely used material on the planet. As such, the materials used to make concrete have vast economic and environmental effects.
Christopher Ferraro, Ph.D., is passionate about developing concrete and cement that is stronger, more durable and less impactful on the environment. He’s an associate professor in the University of Florida’s Civil & Coastal Engineering Department, the associate director of UF’s Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment (ESSIE) and a self-described “quintessential tree hugger.”
In a $5 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, a team of researchers from UF, Rutgers University, Oregon State University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology are exploring the viability of using steel slag as an ingredient in cement and concrete. Ferraro is one of the project’s principal investigators.