Abstract
Cement and concrete are structural materials used across a broad set of applications requiring many different technical specifications and varied environments. This presentation will share work on systematically map reactivity variations and provide guidance on concrete and cement mix design using performance, cost and environmental impact as design metrics.
Biography
Professor Olivetti is the Jerry McAfee (1940) Professor in Engineering within the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She is the Mission Director for the MIT Climate Project’s Decarbonizing Energy and Industry Mission, is the strategic advisor for the MIT Climate & Sustainability Consortium, and founded, PAIA, an electronics-sector consortium on streamlined methods for carbon footprinting. She received a BS in engineering science from the University of Virginia in 2000, and a PhD in materials science and engineering from MIT in 2007. She spent her PhD program studying the electrochemistry of polymer and inorganic materials for electrodes in lithium-ion batteries.
Professor Elsa Olivetti’s research focuses on improving the environmental and economic sustainability of materials. Specifically, she develops analytical and computational models to provide early-stage information on the cost and environmental impact of materials. Professor Olivetti and her research-group colleagues work toward improving sustainability through increased use of recycled and renewable materials, addressing the carbon footprint of computing, recycling-friendly material design, and intelligent waste disposition. The group also focuses on understanding the implications of substitution, dematerialization, and waste mining on materials markets.