Ever since Thomas Edison patented portland cement in 1907, it has been used for a

variety of different uses. Sidewalks, buildings, sinks, and furniture are but a
few of the products made from cement in the form of concrete. Cement is the dry
powder that when mixed with other additives and water makes concrete. Over the
past decade, new types of concrete and cement have been formulated that do
everything from bend, to grow plants, and let light through.

In 2005, researchers at the University of Michigan created a bendable form of

concrete that is "500 times more resistant to cracking and 40 percent lighter in
weight." This new type of concrete has substituted the gross aggregate normally
used in the making of concrete, for thin fibers. Projects in Japan, Korea,
Switzerland, and Australia have already used this new bendable concrete.
Unfortunately, the country in which it was created has been slow to adopt its use.

BET�O ORG�NICO was created in 2005 by "Lisbon-based architects and designers e-

studio." This organic concrete blends organic and inorganic material together to
create a living surface. Concrete retains water, as such the concrete is used as a
"battery" to provide water during dry spells for the plant life growing on it.
Rather than having grass growing between concrete slabs, it is now possible to have
the grass grow on the concrete slabs. These slabs could be added to outside walls
to create living siding and provide plants to soak up CO2.

LiTraCon is a Hungarian concrete product developed seven years ago by architect Ron
Losonczi. By impregnating the concrete with optical glass fibers, light can be
transmitted from the outside in or inside out. This concrete has the same strength
as regular concrete and will continue to transmit light through walls up to twenty
meters (twenty-two feet) thick.

Finally, Tececo has developed an eco-cement that absorbs CO2 from the environment.
By adding reactive magnesia to the cement, water and CO2 are absorbed and harden.
Other waste products, such as "fly and bottom ash, slags, plastics, paper glass
etc" can also be added to the cement without affecting the CO2 absorption.

These new types of cement and concrete give architects and designers more choices
for creating truly different looks. Normally, you think of ugly concrete walls or
slabs. Now concrete can not only be bent, but used as a basis for plants and light
effects.

Development of new types of concrete with improved performance is a very important

issue for the whole building industry. This development is based on the
optimisation of the concrete mix design, with an emphasis not only to the
workability and mechanical properties but also to the durability and the
reliability of the concrete structures in general. Appearance of the new types of
concrete requires a revision and improvement of existing structural systems and
actual building technologies. The economical aspect are of importance as well.