Breakthrough geopolymer technology turns recycled glass and construction waste into a durable and green construction material
Breakthrough geopolymer technology turns recycled glass and construction waste into a durable and green construction material
In a major advancement for sustainable construction, Japanese scientists have created a cement-free soil solidifier from industrial waste. By combining Siding Cut Powder and activated by Earth Silica, an alkaline stimulant from recycled glass, scientists produced a high-performance material that meets compressive strength standards exceeding the 160 kN/m² construction-grade threshold and eliminates arsenic leaching through calcium hydroxide stabilization. The technology reduces landfill volumes and carbon emissions, offering a circular solution for infrastructure development worldwide.
With global population growth accelerating urban expansion, construction activity has reached unprecedented levels—placing immense pressure on both natural resources as well as the environment. A cornerstone of modern-day infrastructure, Ordinary Portland Cement remains the most effective and commonly used soil solidifier despite contributing substantially to global carbon emissions. At the same time, construction waste continues to accumulate in landfills. Addressing both the environmental burden of cement use and the inefficiencies of industrial waste disposal has become an urgent priority.
To tackle these interconnected challenges, scientists from Japan, led by Professor Shinya Inazumi, from the College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), Japan, present a sustainable alternative: a high-performance geopolymer-based soil solidifier developed from Siding Cut Powder (SCP), a construction waste byproduct, and Earth Silica (ES), sourced from recycled glass. This breakthrough innovation offers an alternative to reducing cement dependence while transforming construction waste into valuable construction resources. Their paper was made available online on April 21, 2025, and was published in Volume 26 of the Cleaner Engineering and Technology journal on May 1, 2025.
Read more at Shibaura Institute of Technology
Image: Alkaline stimulant also referred to as Earth Silica when combined in calculated proportions with Siding Cut Powder significantly improves soil compressive strength, exceeding the construction-grade threshold of 160 kN/m2. (Credit: Professor Shinya Inazumi from SIT, Japan Source Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2025.100976)
