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Study: Coffee grounds make stronger concrete

Researchers have devised a technique to recycle used coffee grounds to make stronger concrete.

Engineers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia (RMIT) say they have developed a way to make concrete nearly 30% stronger, by incorporating processed coffee grounds into the material. The process, called pyrolysis, involves heating the coffee waste to about 350C.

The study’s co-lead is Dr Rajeev Roychand. He told Newsday: “We use that as a replacement of sand…in simple terms (it) provides moisture. In the long-term that protects…that affects the strength so it reduces the micro-cracking and shrinkage and finally we end up with 30% stronger concrete.”

(Picture: Shows close-up of coffee with roasted beans. Credit: Getty Images.)

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3 minutes