John Sisk & Son has achieved over 70% carbon savings after testing a new low-carbon concrete technology at its Wembley Park project site in London.
Sisk used different construction methodologies and concrete mixes based on advanced cement technology (ACT), a low-carbon concrete developed by Dublin-based cement producer Ecocem.
ACT low-carbon concrete combines technical innovations with widely available low-carbon materials to decarbonise the production of cement by as much as 70% compared with standard concrete, and enhances its strength and durability, according to Ecocem.
The trial at Sisk’s Wembley Park project received £500,000 funding from Innovate UK as part of its Contracts for Innovation to “pioneer” the use of ACT.
Sisk used ACT in the two-storey project to build floors, precast concrete stairs, columns and walls. The initial feedback on the performance of each element is “very promising”, according to Ecocem.
In each case, it added, the concrete made with ACT met the design specification for each application assessed and delivered a significant carbon saving of over 70%.
Loughborough University, Rambool, Creagh Concrete, Capital Concrete and BRE Group were also involved in the Sisk trial.
‘Tremendous leap forward’
Ross Cullen, chief engineer at Sisk, said: “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.”
John Reddy, director of concrete technology deployment at Ecocem, added: “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.”
In January, Ecocem began construction of its first commercial ACT production facility at its Dunkirk site, in the north of France.
The facility is expected to be operational by 2026 and will initially provide an annual production capacity of 300,000 tonnes of ACT.
