Skanska JV to replace cement with calcined clay in HS2 trial

Although results from the initial tests suggest that carbon reduction could be considerably reduced and tens of millions of pounds saved on a project similar in size to HS2, more research is needed.

SCS JV is working on this HS2 trial with technical lead Arup, concrete supplier Tarmac, the University of Leeds, Sika UK, Expedition Engineering and the Mineral Product Association.

Apostolos Tsoumelekas, SCS JV materials engineering manager who has been heavily involved in developing the product, said: “This innovation was first sparked by a discussion with an expert in Arup who had been researching the applications of calcined clays in concrete. Working together with our customer and the supply chain we have been able to help turn this idea into reality.  

“The clay that is excavated from the HS2 tunnels is essentially a waste product. We have developed a process which calcines the clay and grinds it to a powder, transforming it into a useful resource which can then be added to concrete replacing Portland cement. The results have been impressive and hopefully if it’s scaled up it could really help speed up the adoption of low-carbon concrete for commercial use.”

The initiative is part of Innovate UK’s £3.2m investment in seven projects to advance the decarbonisation of the UK’s concrete industry.