The construction industry depends heavily on sand, yet not all sand is equal. Ren Wei, a postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, is part of a team investigating whether desert sand, long considered unsuitable for concrete, can be turned into a viable construction material. Working with colleagues at NTNU and the University of Tokyo, Wei has helped develop and test what the researchers call botanical sandcrete, a pressed composite material that combines desert sand with plant based additives.
Liu, H., Sun, H., Plaza, C. C., Sun, X., Hua, Q., & Jiang, F. (2025). Turning microfibrillated cellulose into continuous filaments through interfacial binding with dissolved cellulose. Chem Circularity, 100002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checir.2025.100002
Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world after water. More than four billion tons of cement are produced annually, and the material is responsible for roughly eight percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. A significant part of this footprint is linked not only to cement production but also to the extraction of suitable aggregates. River sand is dredged extensively, and rock is crushed to produce the right grain sizes for concrete. Both processes carry environmental consequences, from habitat disruption to landscape alteration.
Ren Wei a postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology stated,
“Researchers have discussed for many years whether desert sand can be used in concrete. The challenge is that desert sand is so fine-grained that it is not suitable as a fastener in concrete. In other words, the concrete will not be hard enough to be used in construction projects.”
At first glance, the planet does not appear short of sand. Deserts contain vast quantities. The difficulty lies in the properties of those grains. Desert sand is typically very fine and rounded due to wind erosion. Traditional concrete relies on angular, well graded aggregates that interlock mechanically within the cement matrix. Fine, smooth desert grains do not provide the same structural bonding, which results in weak material when used in conventional mixes.
The research team approached the problem from a different angle. Instead of trying to force desert sand into standard concrete formulations, they developed a new composite material. Botanical sandcrete is produced by blending fine desert sand with small amounts of wood powder and other additives, then subjecting the mixture to heat and pressure in a hot pressing process. The result is a dense, solid material formed without traditional cement hydration.
Laboratory experiments were carried out primarily at the University of Tokyo. The team systematically varied temperature, pressure, pressing time, and mixing ratios to evaluate how these parameters influenced mechanical strength and density. They also compared desert sand with other types of fine aggregates to understand performance differences.
According to findings published in the Journal of Building Engineering, the pressed desert sand composite achieved compressive strengths sufficient for applications such as paving blocks and pedestrian walkways. While it does not yet replace structural concrete, it demonstrates that desert sand can serve as a functional component in non structural building products when processed differently.
The environmental implications are part of the motivation behind the work. If fine desert sand can be used locally to produce construction materials, the demand for river sand extraction and mountain quarrying could be reduced. This would help alleviate ecological pressures in regions where sand mining has intensified. However, the researchers stress that transportation must be considered carefully. Shipping desert sand across continents would undermine potential environmental gains. The concept is most viable where desert sand is already abundant.
Another open question concerns durability. Most tests so far have been conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. Performance in cold climates, freeze thaw cycles, and long term outdoor exposure remains to be studied. Wei notes that additional testing is required before the material could be adopted in regions with harsh winters.
The idea of using desert sand is not new, and other research groups have explored modified binders and particle treatments to improve its compatibility with cement. What distinguishes botanical sandcrete is its reliance on heat pressing rather than conventional cement chemistry. This shift reframes desert sand not as a flawed aggregate but as a raw material for an alternative composite system.
For an industry facing rising material demand and mounting climate pressure, incremental changes can have significant cumulative effects. Concrete is unlikely to disappear from construction any time soon, but diversification of materials is already underway. Whether botanical sandcrete becomes a niche product or scales into broader use will depend on performance data, production economics, and regional needs.
The broader paradox remains. In some parts of the world, mountains are quarried and riverbeds are dredged for suitable sand, while deserts hold vast reserves of grains that are largely ignored. Research such as this does not eliminate the gap overnight, but it suggests that with the right processing methods, materials once dismissed as unsuitable may find a role in the future of low carbon construction.
Adrian graduated with a Masters Degree (1st Class Honours) in Chemical Engineering from Chester University along with Harris. His master’s research aimed to develop a standardadised clean water oxygenation transfer procedure to test bubble diffusers that are currently used in the wastewater industry commercial market. He has also undergone placments in both US and China primarely focused within the R&D department and is an associate member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
