Wood nanoparticles and biochar in concrete

Hi Bryna - I've been tracking this, and aware that biochar was used in the (slab) concrete for this Oregon project: https://www.oregonlive.com/wine/2022/03/remy-wines-takes-concrete-action-in-dayton.html Like most things with concrete technology, the strategy is limited by local suppliers, availability and experience. We have a project in the Willamette Valley right now that is just having early conversations about concrete, my understanding is that https://www.wilsonvilleconcrete.com/ is a supplier that has experience with biochar. A concrete researcher that has met with our project team (researcher at the university client) advised us that biochar is not ready to be used at scale or for structural purposes, but something to look at and potentially use for specific, non-critical applications. So just a start here, curious if other folks know more, we'll learn more over the next few months I expect. -C

Hi Bryna and Chris, I hadn't heard about the wood particles idea, but we've also been looking into Solid Carbon's biochar product--see Brent's hot-off-the-presses article about that. It's important to note that their "carbon negative concrete" claim is predicated on taking credit for avoided methane emissions that might or might not have otherwise occurred. But they do seem to be making progress in getting approved for various structural applications, as the article explains.
 

Hi Bryna - Building on both replies above, we at SERA have been providing a small amount of "industry feedback" to Solid Carbon, and we've been pushing them pretty hard to see the Athena data to better understand how the math works, so it's great to see it laid out so clearly in Brett's article. I personally have had to wrap my head around the idea of sequestering carbon (in the form of high-quality biochar) in concrete as a way to reliably "lock up" carbon for a dependably durable amount of time, but I've come to believe that the idea has merit. The Solid Carbon folks are moving very judiciously, and seem to be doing all of the right tests to develop what will be seen as a reliable product for our industry. I also know that they are actively seeking potential pilot projects, and would be interested in talking to folks who might have some, and to Chris' point, they are imagining things that are not immediately major structural concrete (although I think a mat-slab could be a good pilot) but also some larger slabs-on-grade or site work could be interesting.
A note for all: Having seen the Remy Wines slab, it does have a different (and IMO interesting and biophilic) appearance. It has a distinct blue-grey hue with lots of color variation. So bear that in mind for uses where it will be on display.
Clark