Four students at the American University in Cairo came up with a unique idea to create a glow-in-the-dark concrete that could be a solution to save energy.

“The idea of our research came from wanting to make an integral construction material, just like concrete, but more sustainable and environmentally friendly in both its creation and function, especially in light of what the world has come to with energy shortages and draining of resources,” said Menna Soliman, one of the undergraduate students at the Department of Construction Engineering at the American University in Cairo, who helped develop the new self-luminous concrete material. 

Soliman added, “The glow-in-the-dark concrete helps to reduce the massive amount of energy used in lighting highways and street signage needed for safe rides.”

Zainab Mahmoud, another member of the team, told Al-Monitor, “We based our ideas on previous research in this field. We were able to develop self-luminous concrete that absorbs sunlight and emits light in the dark, which was part of our graduation project. This material would help reduce heavy reliance on energy used in lighting sidewalks and roads, without compromising the mechanical characteristic of the material.”