Engineering360: "New method allows concrete to be recycled by adding wood"

a lot seems to have been lost in translation.

A promising concept, so far...

If the added wood (particles?) make the concrete more biodegradable, then a traditional concrete structure that is typically designed for a 50-year service-life would have to be totally replaced twice if the service life if the wood-concrete service life was only, say, 25 years. Where's the economy in that?

Do they yet know how long before the wood-particles start to (chemically deteriorate) in outdoor weather conditions?

Also, if the proposed wood-concrete does provide more flexural strength, then would not there need to be added more rebar steel for the wood-concrete to keep its' original, undeformed shape?

So far, it sounds like such wood-concrete is only useable in semi-structural projects, with shorter expected life spans, where it can be better protected from direct environmental exposures.

(... and, have they done any side-by-side seismic testing yet?)

The bottom-line should be to answer the question:

''Such a new wood-concrete process produces (how much) percentage less carbon emission per-cubic-(yard/metre/other-unit-of-volume) than the current concrete process produces?''

HardiePlank siding and similar is cement with cellulose and it is durable. Such non-structural applications may be the focus of this research.