Life Cycle Assessment Informed Process Development for Sustainable Biocement Bricks Reinforced with Plant-Based Natural Fibers and Supplemented with Biosilica from Renewable Biomass

Currently, the cement industry contributes to 8% of anthropogenic carbon emissions, and the Global Cement and Concrete Association has committed to cutting carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions by a quarter by 2030 and achieving net carbon neutrality by 2050. There is enormous incentive to develop novel technologies and materials for the construction industry that are cleaner, sustainable, and scalable. With the development of sustainable processes and products for the construction industry-based life cycle assessment, it is possible to convert the cement industry with a high carbon footprint into a potential carbon sink of the future and improve the sustainability of construction materials. In this chapter, manufacturing of plant fiber reinforced biocement bricks through a novel energy-efficient microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) process with minimal impact on the environment is detailed. The addition of sustainable biosilica obtained from agricultural crop residues and invasive plant species as pozzolanic admixture and pretreated plant fibers from lignocellulosic biomass as reinforcement that improves the mechanical strength of the biocement and sustainability of biocement technology is reviewed.