In response to the urgent need for achieving carbon neutrality in the construction industry, with Biochar-Based Cement and Concrete for Sustainable Construction, an international group of experts has set out to provide a timely, comprehensive overview of biochar-enhanced cementitious materials. Although the method is relatively new, extensive research has been conducted in recent years to systematically gather information proving biochar as an ideal medium for carbon sequestration when used as an engineered additive in cementitious materials, but also to strengthen concrete in many key dimensions via enhancements to hydration and integration into the hardened matrix.
The volume stands out as an invaluable resource that offers up-to-date guidance on eco-efficient construction materials' manufacturing and practical application examples backed by considerations regarding their environmental soundness. At the same time, it stimulates research into future developments with relevance to interdisciplinary audiences both in academia and industry.
Tsang, Daniel C. W.: - Daniel C.W. Tsang is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Pao Yue-Kong Chair Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization of Zhejiang University in China. He was a Professor and MSc Programme Leader at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a Visiting Professor at the University of Queensland in Australia and Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University in the US, an IMETE Scholar at Ghent University in Belgium, and a postdoctoral fellow at Imperial College London in the UK. With over 20 years of R&D experience, he has published more than 600 articles in top-tier journals and has been recognized among Stanford University's Top 2% Scientists and Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers in the fields of Engineering and Environment & Ecology. His team is dedicated to developing green technologies for long-term decarbonization and promoting resource circularity and sustainable development. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of npj Materials Sustainability (Springer Nature), Chairman of the Hong Kong Waste Management Association (2023-2025), and Chairman of the Waste Management Subcommittee of the Advisory Council on the Environment (2023 & 2024) of the Hong Kong SAR Government.
Zhu, Xiaohong: - Xiaohong Zhu is a Professor of Civil Engineering Materials at Beijing University of Technology. Over the years, he has conducted research at Chongqing University, Queen's University Belfast, the University of Leeds, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in low-carbon cement and concrete technology, as well as aged concrete. Dr. Zhu has collaborated with Prof. Ian G. Richardson at the University of Leeds on the analysis of historically significant aged cement samples, including Joseph Aspdin's patent Portland cement (Wakefield, UK) and William Aspdin's cement (Sheerness, UK). Additionally, he has worked with Prof. Paulo J. M. Monteiro at UC Berkeley on studies of Roman concrete and concrete from the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (Istanbul, Turkey).
