Green Concrete Floors for Improved Human and Planetary Health
Location of field study in Bangladesh
Project summary
In low-income countries, housing improvements are linked to improved health. Yet, the production and transport of building materials are a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. The tension between improving the built environment for public health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions presents a major environmental challenge.
This project led by Prof. Jade Benjamin-Chung (Department of Epidemiology) employs a planetary health framework to jointly investigate whether “green” concrete floors made with an alternative cement mix can improve child health while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. The research team is testing the effectiveness of green concrete floors in a randomized trial in rural Bangladesh. In addition, we are developing guidelines for green concrete floor installation in rural low-income settings as well as modeling greenhouse gas emissions under scaled up implementation scenarios. The team is also engaging with non-governmental organizations in Bangladesh to investigate opportunities to install green concrete floors at scale.
Project objectives
Measure the acceptability and health impact of green concrete floors
Develop guidelines for installing green concrete floors in rural South Asian settings
Model environmental impacts of green vs. Ordinary Portland Cement concrete flooring in rural South Asian settings
Publications
Effects of household concrete floors on maternal and child health – the CRADLE trial: a randomised controlled trial protocol
Rahman M., Jahan F., Hanif S., Yeamin A., Shoab A., Andrews J., Lu Y., Billington S., Pilotte N., Shanta I., Jubair M., Rahman M., Kabir M., Haque R., Tofail F., Hossain S., Mahmud Z., Ercumen A., Benjamin-Chung J. (2025), Open BMJ, (Link)
Evaluating the Survival and Removal of Escherichia coli from Surfaces Made with Traditional and Sustainable Cement-Based Materials in Field-Relevant Conditions
Anderson, C., Hernandez, J., Hanif, S., Owens, L., Crider, Y., Billington, S., Lepech, M., Boehm, A., and Benjamin-Chung, J. (2025), Applied and Environmental Microbiology, (Link)
Project team (at Stanford)
Prof. Michael Lepech, CEE
Dr. Clare Anderson, Post-doctoral scholar, CEE
Jason Hernandez, PhD candidate, CEE
Prof. Jade Benjamin-Chung, Epidemiology
Prof. Sarah Billington, CEE
Prof. Ali Boehm, CEE
Dr. Yoshika Crider, Post-doctoral scholar, King Center on Global Development
Project funders
Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment (PI: Prof. Jade Benjamin-Chung)
U.S. NIH Grant/Contract R01HD108196 (PI: Prof. Jade Benjamin-Chung)