Hard Facts

Concrete Keeps Its Cool!

Episode Summary

This week, Dr. Jeremy Gregory, the Executive Director of the Concrete Sustainability Hub at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, joins us to explain the science of concrete, telling us why it’s cooler, and how it’s able to last so long.

Episode Notes

A recent guest column published in Time Magazine missed the mark in its criticisms of concrete as a building material. While concrete is known for its ability to reflect heat, the author, who also happened to be promoting a book, claimed otherwise. The journalist also expressed surprise that concrete eventually has to be replaced, apparently confused when citing a study giving America’s infrastructure a D+, the report a commentary on the lack of investment in public facilities, not the materials used to build them.

This week, Dr. Jeremy Gregory, the Executive Director of the Concrete Sustainability Hub at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, joins us to explain the science of concrete, telling us why it’s cooler, and how it’s able to last so long.