Egyptian students are developing concrete that stores the sun’s energy during the day. Concrete releases energy at night as light. The idea is to save electricity when, for example, the streets can be lit with glowing concrete. Concrete would be light at night.
Egypt will soon make concrete that glows with light.
Four young Egyptian students studying to be civil engineers are developing environmentally friendly concrete at the American University of Cairo (AUC).
The special feature of building concrete is that it stores energy from the sun during the day and releases it as light in the dark.
Student Mayar Khairy says shiny concrete would be useful in traffic, among other things. Concrete would absorb light along the roads during the day and then illuminate the road in the evening and at night.
“It would also be a good way to illuminate the streets in the dark and keep them safe,” says Mayar Khairy in an interview with Reuters.
Glossy concrete otherwise uses the same ingredients as ordinary concrete, but with the addition of substances that glitter.
Less electricity consumption and emissions
One of the goals of students developing concrete in their dissertation is environmental friendliness. If widely used, the method would also be relevant in the fight against climate change.
The idea is to reduce the use of electricity in lighting roads as well as traffic signs and roadside signs.
Professor of Civil Engineering at the American University of Cairo Mohamed Naguibin considers the development of concretes to be one step in the production of environmentally friendly building materials.
– This production uses less electricity and does not emit carbon dioxide or other harmful gases, says Professor Mohamed Naguib.