Photocatalytic concrete for clean air in underground tunnels
June 5, 2023 – The air quality in underground road tunnels tends to be worse than in other road environments due to the poor air circulation. To address this issue, researchers at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) have developed photocatalytic concrete that can effectively remove fine particulate matter on roads. Last June, the website Texplore reported on this research.
In May 2023, GCP Research Group completed a pilot application of photocatalytic concrete on the interior walls of the Banpo Underground Road Tunnel in Seoul, Korea. An artificial light source has been installed, allowing the photocatalytic function to work even underground where natural light does not reach.
The trial was intended to verify the effectiveness of the research results in actual use. The results showed an approximately 18 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) concentration levels over a 24-hour period.
The results were published earlier this year in KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research titled ‘NOx-removal and Sound-absorption Performances of Photocatalytic Porous Concrete Prepared by Various TiO2 Application Methods’.
An artificial light source has been installed, allowing the photocatalytic function to work even underground where natural light does not reach (Credit: Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology)
