Japanese Co. Develops Material Two-Times Harder and Faster-Curing Than Concrete

A Japanese company has developed a material that cures within one minute and has a tensile strength more than two times that of concrete. For cities affected by natural disaster, this "CO2 Structure" could help reconstruction happen faster.

Concrete usually takes 28 days to cure to its full strength. By blowing CO2 into silica, TIS Partners LTD was able to make the silica into a substance as hard as brick, as reported by DigInfo TV (via Gizmodo). TIS Partners President Norihide Imagawa said they then increased strength by adding epoxy or urethane.

See how CO2 Structure is made in this video (video will begin after an ad):

With a building life of about 50 years, TIS Partners suggests CO2 Structure be used to reinforce existing buildings, in addition to as a quick restoration material. The company plans to show it's first model of CO2 Structure as a double dome large enough to hold 125 people at the UIA World Congress at the Tokyo International Forum September 25.