REVIEW: Are we learning from China's experiences to minimize the negative impacts of concrete usage?

The use of concrete exploded to fuel China's rise. Now the costs of this weighty material are being counted.

China's recent addiction to concrete stands in stark contrast to its historical reliance on timber as the primary building material. This shift, driven by rapid urbanization, has catapulted China to the forefront of global cement production, accounting for over half of the world's annual output. However, the majority of this concrete is consumed domestically, with little being exported.

China's urban centers, despite their impressive growth, face a significant challenge—they are sinking. A recent study reveals that vast swathes of the population now reside in major cities experiencing subsidence at a rate exceeding 3mm per year. In certain areas, such as parts of Beijing, the sinking rate is even more pronounced, reaching over 45mm annually. The study also projects that by 2120, approximately a quarter of China's coastal land will be submerged below sea level.

While there are multiple factors contributing to this subsidence, the researchers primarily attribute it to the rapid pace of urban development. The substantial groundwater abstraction necessary to sustain urban populations, combined with the weight of buildings and city infrastructure, is exacerbating the sinking phenomenon

What lessons can we learn from China's experiences to minimize the negative impacts of concrete usage?

The full hardhatREVIEW was published on BBC

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