A competitor to aggregate and cement?

The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association brought to our attention this story from Tech Launch Arizona, a part of the University of Arizona that commercializes inventions stemming from research.

An associate professor of mining and geological engineering at the university’s College of Engineering, Jinhong Zhang, has developed a substitute for concrete that reportedly has advantages over Portland cement-based material. Said to be lighter, stronger and less expensive than traditional concrete, Acrete, as it is called, uses three times as much waste fly ash and no cement to create a useful building material.

It reportedly can have up to three times the compressive strength of concrete, twice the flexural strength, and it is water repellent.

Coal-fired power plants in the United States produce about 130 million tons of fly ash each year, says Tech Launch Arizona, which has brought together Zhang and entrepreneur Abraham Jalbout to create the startup company to develop the product and bring it to market.

Could Acrete become a direct competitor to aggregate and cement?