Displaying items by tag: cementfree concrete

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Readymix and Finland-based Betolar have launched two new reduced-CO₂ concretes, produced using ground granulated blast furnace slag and natural pozzolans with Betolar’s Geoprime technology. One of the products is cement-free and the other has an ultra-low (2.5%) cement content. TradeArabia News has reported that the dual launch concludes a successful partnership between the companies, which began in 2023.

Saudi Readymix technology and strategy director Chris Leptokaridis said "Saudi Readymix has been at the forefront of developing new technologies to meet our customers' increasing demand for eco-friendly, low-CO₂ solutions. Our partnership with Betolar has enabled us to successfully deliver on this goal, offering groundbreaking concrete recipes that significantly reduce carbon emissions."

Betolar senior researcher Ahmad Alzaza said "This project pushed the boundaries of innovation by bringing low-carbon technology into the ready-mix concrete space. We are proud to have contributed to a solution that will help advance sustainable construction across Saudi Arabia."

US: C-Crete Technologies has poured its granite-based cement-free concrete in its first construction application at the upcoming JPMorgan Chase headquarters at 270 Park Avenue, Manhattan. Ecology, Environment and Conservation News has reported that the concrete generates no net CO₂ emissions by sequestering atmospheric CO₂ in its curing process. The concrete conforms to ASTM International standards, with a compressive strength exceeding 5000psi. Other partners on the project included engineering firm Severud Associates Consulting Engineers and construction management firm AECOM Tishman.

C-Crete Technologies president Rouzbeh Savary said "We are thrilled to introduce our new granite-based concrete at such a prestigious and iconic location. The building at 270 Park Avenue is set to become a landmark not only for its architectural grandeur, but also for its sustainable construction practices."

Severud Associates Consulting Engineers senior associate Fortunato Orlando said "The performance of C-Crete for concrete on metal deck, topping slabs, pavements and landscape work, coupled with its eco-friendly attributes, makes it a revolutionary product for the future of the construction industry."

AECOM Tishman chief operating officer John Kovacs said "Just a few years ago, constructing devoid of Portland cement and CO₂ emissions would have seemed unimaginable. And yet today, we stand as the world's first, setting new thresholds of what's possible in sustainable construction. We thank all of our partners on this project and look forward to the day when CO₂ emission-free construction is not simply an idea or a new innovation, but the industry standard across every build."

Canada: Canal Block will begin to produce CarbiCrete's cement-free concrete products under licence from 2025. The partners say that they have installed a new curing system for the purpose at Canal Block’s Port Colborne plant. Innovation cluster NGen awarded them US$4.04m in funding for the project.

Canal Block president Durk Bylsma said "We look forward to offering a carbon-negative masonry unit to Ontario's construction market in 2025.”

CEO Jacob Homiller said "We are tremendously pleased to bring our cement-free concrete technology to Ontario through Canal Block."

US: Terra CO₂ has begun full-scale trial production of concrete without cement using its novel supplementary cementitious material, Opus Zero. The SCM consists of ground, heated glass spheres made from silicate rock.

Chief scientific officer DJ Lake said “Opus Zero represents a pivotal moment in our journey towards sustainable cement and concrete. Of the very few non-carbon-capture solutions to decarbonising cement, with none proven at scale, Opus Zero stands above the rest for being inherently cost-efficient, practical and scalable for the industry. Today, Opus Zero represents a zero-clinker cement that can be produced with abundant feedstock around the world, does not require opening new mines to scale, and aims to seamlessly fold into the current industry landscape.”

Middle East/North America: Climate tech start-up Partanna has announced plans for four new plants to produce its carbon negative binder. The plants will be located in the Bahamas, the US and the Gulf region.

Partanna said that the development demonstrates its growing momentum as a construction sector disruptor, offering a sustainable, cost-comparable alternative to cement for users of concrete.

Canada: Carbon-negative concrete producer CarbiCrete has signed a deal with Holcim subsidiary Lafarge Canada. Under the deal, Lafarge Canada will process steel slag at its St. Constant cement plant in Québec for use as an ingredient in CarbiCrete’s CO₂-cured cement-free concrete.

CarbiCrete partner Patio Drummond produces carbon-negative concrete blocks using CarbiCrete’s technology at its Drummondville concrete block plant in Québec. The company is on a drive to double the production of CarbiCrete blocks. It first partnered with CarbiCrete during trial production of its material in 2018.

Lafarge Canada vice-president of cement Andrew Stewart said “We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and leading the way in sustainable construction. Our partnership with CarbiCrete is a testament to our dedication to offering sustainable solutions and actively participating in the circular economy.”

CarbiCrete CEO Chris Stern said “Collaborating with Lafarge allows us to leverage long-established infrastructure and years of expertise in processing steel-related by-products. This enables us to make an immediate climate impact as we scale the deployment of our technology which reduces embodied carbon in concrete by both avoiding emissions and removing carbon through mineralisation.” Regarding the on-going scale-up of production at Patio Drummond’s Drummondville plant, Stern said “Increased production of our carbon-negative blocks brings us closer to our common goal of decarbonising production of the world’s most consumed man-made substance.”

US: C-Crete Technologies poured its zeolite-based concrete for the construction of a 20t slab-on-grade foundation and set of steps in Seattle. The concrete uses zeolite as a binder, removing the need for cement.

C-Crete Technologies founder and president Rouzbeh Savary said "Our successful 20t concrete pour in Seattle using the zeolite-based binder is an important step in our quest to revolutionise construction. This landmark use of the product epitomises C-Crete's commitment to reshaping the industry through environmentally conscious innovations. By tapping into various natural rocks like zeolite and converting them into cementitious binders we're forging a path toward truly sustainable infrastructure."

France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies signed a partnership agreement with ready-mix concrete producer CRBPE, Dow Jones Institutional News has reported. Under the contract, Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies will supply its clinker-free cement to CRBPE’s four batching plants in eastern France.

Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies co-founders Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann said "This new commercial partnership with CRBPE, a family-owned company that shares our ambitions to decarbonise the construction sector, strengthens our position in the ready-mix concrete market. It is also a fantastic opportunity to increase our presence in the eastern area of France and expand our territorial coverage."

India: Finland-based Betolar introduced its artificial intelligence-based service for production of reduced-CO₂ concrete using its Geoprime additive at World of Concrete India 2023 on 18 October 2023. Betolar designs recipes and provides a liquid chemical dosing system and post-production services to Geoprime users. Dow Jones Institutional News reports that Betolar has concluded strategic tie-ups in South and West India, and is ‘actively planning’ further expansion.

Managing director Abhishek Bhattacharya said "Interest in our solution is growing fast in India and we have successfully demonstrated that the twin goal of sustainability and performance can be achieved remarkably faster with Betolar’s Geoprime solution.”

US: The US Department of Energy has awarded C-Crete Technologies US$2m in funding. C-Crete Technologies is developing a method for using CO₂ captured at industrial sources or from the air as an ingredient in its cement-free concrete. The binder will produce almost no CO₂ and continue to absorb more CO₂ from the air over time. It offers scalability and cost-parity with conventional cement for concrete producers, according to the developer.

C-Crete Technologies president Rouzbeh Savary said “We are committed to crafting a cement-free, carbon-negative ready-mix concrete that doesn’t just mitigate CO₂ emissions but actively contributes to reversing climate change. Our aim is nothing short of revolutionising this hard-to-abate, carbon-heavy sector.”