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A strong, eco-friendly construction material was synthesised directly from low-quality sand via the sol-gel method with ethanol as the solvent. Appropriate KOH content and ethanol concentration further promoted the compressive strength (> 25 MPa). The high strength was attributed to microcline and tetraethoxysilane formation. The carbon emission of the sand-based material in the construction phase was 4281% of those of concrete from four types of buildings based on lifecycle cost analysis. Therefore, a green and tough construction material was synthesised, which can partially substitute concrete, thus addressing the problem of insufficient concrete raw materials and high CO2 emissions.

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