Boban John
Initial test results demonstrate that Sisk’s use of Ecocem’s ACT cement alternative delivered carbon savings of at least 70% compared to standard concrete.
The trial received £500,000 from Innovate UK as part of its Contracts for Innovation to pioneer the use of ACT.
The demonstrator project was based at NE02/NE03, Wembley Park, where Sisk has been working on the redevelopment of Wembley Park for Quintain for the past 20 years.
The two-storey project used a range of different construction methodologies and concrete mixes, all based on ACT. From floors to precast concrete stairs, columns and walls, the initial feedback on the performance of each element is very promising. In each case the concrete made with ACT met the design specification for each application assessed and delivered a significant carbon saving of more than 70%, Sisk said.
Ecocem recently announced that it has begun construction on its first production facility dedicated to ACT at its Dunkirk facility in Northern France, where it will invest £42m. The new facility will have an initial capacity to deliver 300,000 tonnes of ACT a year.
The scalable low-carbon demonstrator project featured a consortium including, Sisk, Ecocem, Ramboll, Loughborough University, Creagh Concrete, Capital Concrete and the Building Research Establishment.
Sisk chief engineer Ross Cullen said: “Our low-carbon concrete journey began with the establishment of various strategies aimed at reducing our environmental impact. One of the key initiatives was the creation of an internal low-carbon concrete working group. This was formed to deepen our understanding of carbon in concrete and to explore opportunities and technologies that can help us reduce the embodied carbon in our projects.
He added: “The construction industry has a profound responsibility to reduce our climate impact. As one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions, it is imperative that we take significant steps towards sustainability. The development of low-carbon concrete is a tremendous leap forward in this endeavour. This innovation not only reduces our carbon footprint but also sets a new standard for environmentally responsible construction practices.”
Ecocem director of concrete technology deployment John Reddy said: “This low-carbon demonstration project at Wembley delivered with Sisk and supported by Innovate UK, is a significant milestone. The project used a range of different construction methodologies and concrete mixes all based on ACT and experience during the construction phase indicates that it behaves and performs as you would expect concrete to – with one significant difference – it can deliver a carbon saving of over 70%.
“Ecocem has been testing and trialling ACT, our low-carbon cement technology for the last 12 months in a range of onsite applications and early test results on this demonstrator are in line with our previous experience. For each application it delivers the required performance in terms of workability, durability, and early age strength. We need now to change concrete standards so that low-carbon solutions like ACT can be adopted for construction use and deliver significant carbon reduction at speed”
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