Concrete and carbon uptake

Concrete and carbon uptake

From PNAS Science Sessions by PNAS

April 6, 2026 · 11 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the extent to which concrete can absorb carbon dioxide over its lifecycle with researcher Hessam Azarijafari.

How much carbon dioxide concrete can absorb Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Hessam Azarijafari explains the extent to which concrete can absorb carbon dioxide over its lifecycle. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction. •[00:56] Construction engineer Hessam Azarijafari introduces us to the recipe for concrete. •[01:41] He explains how concrete absorbs carbon dioxide throughout its lifespan, and why this absorption is important. •[02:52] Azarijafari talks about the background of the study. •[03:45] He describes the model built for the study and the data source. •[05:59] Azarijafari tells the study's results, including variation in absorption across sectors and between the US and Mexico. •[07:41] He compares this analysis with previous estimates of concrete carbon absorption. •[08:25] He explains the takeaways…

People in this episode

Guest: Hessam Azarijafari

Topics covered

  • carbon dioxide absorption
  • concrete lifecycle
  • construction engineering
  • environmental impact
  • scientific research

Keywords

  • concrete
  • carbon uptake
  • Hessam Azarijafari
  • environment
  • construction
  • PNAS
  • research

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, PNAS

Books & works: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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