Portland cement, the principal hydraulic cement in use today, is not only one of the most energy-intensive materials of construction but also is responsible for a large amount of greenhouse gases. At the current rate of increase of cement production, worldwide cement production is expected to rise from about 2.5 billion ton in 2006 to about 5.0 billion ton by 2020. Producing one ton of Portland cement requires about 4GJ energy and Portland cement clinker manufacture releases approximately 1 ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Furthermore, mining large quantities of raw materials such as limestone and clay, and fuel such as coal, often results in extensive deforestation and top-soil loss.

The durability of concrete has the ability to resist against environmental attacks without its performance falling below a minimum acceptable limit. In an offshore or marine environment, concrete can be subjected to the influences of wetting and drying, freezing and thawing, abrasion by ice and other debris, chemical attack or mineral depletion by water it is in, salt accumulations, and attack by marine organisms.

The following three main factors define the concrete durability:

• Mix design, quality and the relevant quantity of the concrete constituents such as water-to-cement ratio and cement content
• Construction practice such as mixing, placing, compacting, and curing
• Environmental exposure conditions

Deterioration of concrete and steel in service result in loss of performance, and it may be the result of a variety of mechanical, physical, chemical or biological processes. The final result of these mechanisms is mainly cracking. Cracking will occur whenever the tensile stress exceeds the tensile strength of the concrete. Corrosion of steel reinforcement is the most serious durability problem of reinforced concrete structures. It impairs not only the appearance of the structure but also its strength and safety, due to the reduction in the cross-sectional area of the reinforcement and to the deterioration of bond with the surrounding concrete.

Technology plays a very important role in sustainable development because it is one of the most significant ways in which we interact with our environment. We use technologies to extract natural resources, to modify them for human purposes, and to adapt our man-made living space. It is through the use of technology that we have seen drastic improvements in the quality of life of many people. Unfortunately, many of these short term improvements in the immediate quality of life have also exacted a great toll on the environment. In order to proceed toward sustainability, we will have to be more deliberate and thoughtful in our employment of technology. We need to develop and use technologies with sustainability in mind. We need “sustainable technologies.”

To avoid confusion and ambiguity it is necessary to establish a working definition of “technology.” Here, the term "technology" is taken to mean "the application of knowledge to the achievement of particular goals or to the solution of particular problems" (Moore 1972, p. 5).

Xypex crystalline products are dry powdered-form compounds composed of Portland cement, silica sand and many active proprietary chemicals.

Xypex's primary and most distinguishing performance feature is its unique ability to generate a non-soluble crystalline formation deep within the concrete microstructure.

Xypex products chemically react with moisture and Portland cement hydration products to generate crystalline structure which permanently blocks the interconnected pores and seals cracks with the width of up to 0.4 mm.

By blocking the pores and sealing the cracks the diffusion rate of the aggressive substances into the concrete is reduced extraordinarily. This diffusion rate reduction enhances concrete durability. Consequently, the service life of the concrete structures will be extended. Increasing the lifetime performance of the structure reduces the consumption of raw materials (environmental impact) as well as maintenance and repair costs.