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Now more so than ever before, eco-consciousness is shaping decisions across the construction industry. As the UK works towards its ambitious net zero goals, individuals and businesses alike are prioritising sustainability in the suppliers they choose to work with.
As a result, major changes are being driven throughout the construction industry. This includes materials and processes being re-engineered to minimise their environmental impact.
Nowhere is this more evident than with concrete.
Below, you can find out more about the latest innovations in the design and use of concrete, and how these are helping site managers across the country to dramatically improve their sustainability standards.
Jump to section:
- Why is concrete sustainability so important?
- How low carbon concrete supports net zero targets
- How to make concrete mixes more sustainable
- Recycled and sustainable aggregates
Why is concrete sustainability so important?
Believe it or not, but concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world.
As a result, any sustainability gains that can be made in concrete’s design and construction will have a dramatic impact on global emissions.
What’s more, traditional concrete has always had a significant environmental footprint. In fact, global cement manufacturing accounts for around 8% of the world’s total CO2 emissions.
Improving the sustainability of concrete can help to address a major contributor to global emissions. This will prove key to achieving national and global climate targets.
Also, in areas like London, hitting a minimum sustainability has become a legal requirement for construction projects.
In London, the London Plan (2021) Policy SI2 outlines that every major development proposal must be accompanied by an energy assessment, outlining how carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets will be met. As a result, at least 35% of regulated CO2 emission reductions (against a Building Regulations Part L (2021) baseline) must be successfully made on-site.
Eco concrete will prove vital to reaching these ambitious targets, without compromising on strength or performance.
How low carbon concrete supports net zero targets for construction projects
Compared to traditional concrete, low carbon concrete is responsible for significantly less CO₂ emissions. In fact, at iMix Concrete, our eco concrete represents an over 50% reduction in CO2 (compared to conventional concrete).
With such significant emissions savings, substituting traditional concrete for eco concrete is an extremely effective way for commercial, residential and infrastructure projects to progress towards their net zero targets.
At the same time, eco concrete has exactly the same high standards of strength, durability and predictability as traditional concrete, with the same long predicted lifespan.
How to make concrete mixes more sustainable
Low carbon concrete is achieved in a number of ways, including:
- Using GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast‑furnace Slag)
- Reducing the amount of cement used
- Using low-carbon binders
- Incorporating recycled materials
- Opting for locally sourced materials, wherever possible (to reduce transport emissions)
- Using energy-efficient production and mixing methods (like our new plant)
At iMix Concrete, our batching plant in Essex is state-of-the-art, and using GGBS and sustainable batching methods, we have successfully achieved a decrease of over 50% CO2 emissions for our concrete mixes.
Thanks to our new plant, we can mix any strength and grade of concrete, with marginally lower CO2 emissions, without minimising the impact, or structure of the concrete itself.
Recycled and sustainable aggregates
In terms of volume, aggregates are the largest component of concrete. As a result, improving sustainability here has a major impact on the concrete’s emissions.
Recycled aggregates are made by using crushed concrete and demolition waste. This way, exactly the same performance standards can be achieved, without requiring virgin materials to be used. Plus, it also helps to divert waste from landfill.
This use case is driving increasingly efficient recycling systems, with many modern quarries having now developed closed-loop processes (their materials can be reused over and over again, through different applications).
At iMix Concrete, we are proud to be at the forefront of sustainable construction innovations.
We are constantly working to optimise the sustainability of our materials, to support our clients in the pursuit of their ambitious sustainability targets.
To find out more about our eco concrete, or to arrange for a delivery for your site, speak to iMix Concrete’s expert team.
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