Materials & Packaging Innovation & Technology

Mighty Buildings Now Further Reduce Carbon Footprint of Homes with CO2-Based Cement

New partner Fortera’s material converts carbon dioxide into cement, reducing CO₂ emissions by more than 60% — and costs 10% less than conventional cement.

Published 3 years ago | About a 2 minute read

Image: Mighty Buildings

San Francisco Bay Area-based Mighty Buildings — a technology company that is revolutionizing the construction industry by using 3D printing, advanced materials and robotic automation to create beautiful, sustainable, high-quality homes — has partnered with Fortera, a materials innovation company that has developed a new cement that reduces CO2 emissions by more than 60 percent for every ton of cement replaced. The partnership will help advance Mighty Buildings’ mission of addressing the housing availability crisis while becoming carbon neutral by 2028 — 22 years ahead of the construction industry.

“We’re constantly searching for new materials that will help us reach our goals; so we’re thrilled to work with Fortera and this new, carbon-dioxide-based cement,” said Mighty Buildings Chief Sustainability Officer and co-founder Sam Ruben.

Our urban lives have literally been built around cement, the key ingredient in concrete — which, unfortunately, accounts for about 8 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions on its own. More and more innovators have developed potential solutions — including a clay-based version, a bio-enhanced, ecosystem-enhancing concrete for coastal infrastructure, and a cement cured with captured CO2 instead of water. Silicon Valley-based Fortera has developed a cementitious material that converts carbon dioxide into cement, reducing CO₂ emissions by more than 60 percent — with a 10 percent lower cost than conventional cement, according to the company. Traditional Portland cement, the industry standard used for foundations, contributes to a significant portion of the overall carbon footprint for many homes — including Mighty Buildings’. Finding cement alternatives with a lower carbon footprint was an important step in reaching its carbon-neutrality goal. Fortera’s product can be used anywhere Portland cement is used.

The partnership is a direct result of Mighty Buildings’ most recent $22M funding round to accelerate its carbon-neutrality roadmap and aims for further strategic supply chain partnerships.

“With the engineering and construction of our production plant underway, we have been seeking strategic relationships with offtake partners whose mission and values align with ours, which is why Mighty Buildings is a great fit for us,” said Dr. Ryan Gilliam, CEO and co-founder of Fortera. “By specifying our low-CO₂ cement for their builds, Mighty Buildings is reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to the overall goal of reducing global emissions.”

Finding new materials and creating novel manufacturing processes are part of how Mighty Buildings will meet its ambitious carbon- neutrality goal. This partnership with Fortera is an example of how Mighty Buildings is working with suppliers to advance technologies and innovations for the entire home construction industry.