About Us

CarbonBuilt (formerly CO2Concrete) is aiming to address climate change by embedding industrial CO₂ emissions into concrete in an economically viable approach. By using concrete to store carbon for good, the same infrastructure growth that is presently accelerating climate change can play a role in slowing, and eventually in reversing, the threat.

CarbonBuilt’s core technology emerged out of the Institute for Carbon Management at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. Led by Gaurav Sant, a third-generation civil engineer, the UCLA team conceptualized the potential to address climate change by embedding industrial CO₂ emissions in the production of concrete in an economically viable fashion. 

TECH INFORMATION

CarbonBuilt’s Reversa™ process includes CO₂ emission-reducing innovations to both the concrete mixture design and its manufacturing process. On the formulation side, we introduce portlandite (also known as calcium hydroxide, a commodity chemical), reduce the usage of traditional cement and increase the use of waste materials like fly ash. The concrete is then formed using the same processes and equipment that are used today. After forming, we cure the concrete with waste CO₂ emissions using a process that does not require expensive capture, compression or purification of the CO₂.

In 2020, with support for UCLA from the U.S. Department of Energy and the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the technology was used to produce over 10,000 concrete blocks using a full-scale curing chamber and flue gas CO₂ sourced directly from a coal power plant in Wyoming.

ABOUT TEAM LEADER

Gaurav Sant is a Professor and Henry Samueli Fellow in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. Gaurav is an expert in construction materials and coordinated the research and development of CO₂Concrete from its inception. Gaurav is a prolific author who has published over 170 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and whose work has been supported by federal and state agencies, foundations, and Fortune500 corporations. Gaurav’s work has been recognized by awards from the National Science Foundation, American Concrete Institute, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures (RILEM). At UCLA, Gaurav is also the Director of the Institute of Carbon Management, which is developing pioneering market-focused technologies to reduce the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

TEAM MEMBERS

Gaurav Sant, Iman Mehdipour, Gabriel Falzone, Stephen Raab, Ed Muller, Camly Tran, Rahul Shendure, Dale Prentice