Decarbonisation

Partnership calls for commercially mature carbon capture and storage projects to be provided with a clear alternative route to market, to unlock private investment to ensure the UK can hit its net-zero targets

Elaine provides an overview of the action being taken and recent progress on the industry’s roadmap for decarbonisation. It includes action on transport; energy use and fuel switching; carbon capture, use and storage, as well as development of standards for greater use of powdered limestone and reclaimed clay and other innovation.

Replacing traditional cement with high clinker content swiftly reduces mortar and concrete's carbon footprint, as cement accounts for 70% of it. Research suggests limestone and metakaolin could replace current clinker production. Studying binary systems (limestone/cement and metakaolin/cement) reveals their impact on flow and compressive strength. A model correlates compressive strength with porosity, showing limestone and metakaolin accelerate clinker hydration, boosting early strength in proportion to their surface area.

John highlights why concrete recycling is important and why the current situation is inadequate to meet the future needs of developers. He discusses how Xeroc has explored various technologies before it was satisfied that old concrete could effectively be separated into its constituent materials to enable recycling. John will explain the recent innovate UK trial and its results.

As UK industry moves towards 2050 carbon targets, the built environment clearly has a significant part to play. With this in mind, Craig Hannam and Deiniol Williams of Fosroc UK & ROI speak about incorporating concrete repair and restoration into a carbon emission reduction strategy, taking into account the ‘whole life’ carbon cycle.

Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice which was first isolated from graphite at The University of Manchester in 2004. Over the past 20 years scientists at the University of Manchester have found that it is possible to utilize graphene’s unique properties across a range of products and applications.

We have become used to the idea that concrete has a large carbon footprint, but does that really have to be the case? Ian argues that we already know how to make concrete with much lower carbon footprint and significantly better resource efficiency. We are seeing innovation progress in 4 key areas and taken together these developments offer the prospect that for at least some applications we may be able to reach carbon neutrality or even net sequestration of CO2.

This session explores the intersection of digital innovation and sustainability, focusing on low-carbon concrete. Gain insights on cutting-edge technologies, showcasing how digital tools enhance decision-making, improve project performance and mitigate risks. Learn how these tools enable the use of low-carbon concrete, reducing environmental footprints.

The question for most concrete product manufacturers is, "is it really possible to deliver more for less?" Can we ever achieve this 'Holy Grail' of matching existing performance with real green credentials, and maintain or reduce the cost to the customer? This presentation looks at some of the more viable potential solutions for delivery of, or at least a glimpse, of the 'Holy Grail'.

Sam gives an overview of Seratech’s approach to decarbonise cement production. Seratech is a spin-out company from Imperial College London that mineralises CO2 within naturally abundant magnesium silicates to produce a siliceous supplementary cementitious material (SCM) for use in ready mix concrete, and magnesium carbonate – a binder for concrete products. Sam outlines the technology and Seratech’s route to large-scale market adoption in the UK and Europe to realise their target of mitigating 10Mt of CO2 per year by 2033.

Annual GCCRN gathering aims to drive research into making concrete, the world’s most used human-made material, net zero

WCA has announced the first line-up of speakers for its 7th annual conference and exhibition, which will take place on 18-19 May 2024 in Nanjing, China

How is innovative research at Flinders University revolutionizing the concrete industry with sustainable practices and alternative materials, and what more can the concrete construction industry do?

Metro Tunnel Project avoids thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions and diverts 90% of construction waste from landfill

Cemex's 2023 Integrated Report provides analysis of its strategic vision, operational performance, and value creation

Roshn and Partanna Arabia sign agreement for carbon-negative concrete production facility in Saudi Arabia

Holcim recognised for innovative and scalable ECOCycle technology

The MPA welcome plans to level the carbon cost playing field between UK cement production and imports

Australia’s Quay Quarter Tower’ wins Overall Excellence award at ACI’s Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards