Scientists replaced 40 percent of cement with rice husk cinder, limestone crushing waste, and silica sand, giving concrete a rubber-like quality, six to nine times more crack-resistant than regular concrete. It self-seals, replaces cement with plentiful waste products, and should be cheaper to use.

[u/mvea]

https://newatlas.com/materials/rubbery-crack-resistant-cement/

[u/hankhillforcongress]

I'd read somewhere that the making of cement creates massive amounts of CO2, but as it cures it acts as a carbon sink.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161121130957.htm

[u/JoHeWe → u/hankhillforcongress]

Yes, but that rate is very slow. So for a building designed for 50 years, the concrete will still be co2-positive.

As a side note, buildings are a necessity, just like food and clothing. It also takes up volumes, as it should be bigger than us. Thus it is no wonder that the construction industry is a big contributor. Whatever our economic standard, buildings will always be a big contributor.

Concrete has some very qualities that make it an efficient material, like insulation, production and installation. I don't have the numbers now, but due to its efficiency it could still be a better alternative than using steel or timber for all our construction works.

[u/AnthropomorphicBees → u/[deleted]]

A large portion of concrete is used for infrastructure. You cannot use CLT to substitute for concrete when building or repairing roads, bridges, rail, water and sewer, etc.