UK Lower Carbon Concrete Group

Don’t you just love the smell of wet concrete in the morning… Especially when it is innovative lower carbon concrete! I was thrilled to attend site last week for the last pour of an Innovate UK funded demonstrator project, led by John Sisk & Son Ltd as part of a consortium with Ecocem Global, Ramboll, Capital Concrete Ltd, Loughborough University, BRE, Creagh Concrete and Quintain Limited. The concrete in question uses Ecocem’s ACT cement. This is a blend of clinker, Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) and limestone, in a combination that yields a concrete with a carbon intensity of less than 100kg/m3. Importantly, it is the intensive use of limestone fines which is key, as this allows a reduced demand for both clinker and makes more efficient use of GGBS. I am really excited by this one – you can see it in the photos. The reason is that these are materials that are already very familiar to the industry and this technology can be scaled globally, with the potential for huge savings in carbon. My Ramboll colleagues, James Scarisbrick and Tom Dillon have been supporting this project in the design of the demonstrator structure and advice on some of the testing. We still need to wait until the project is wrapped up and the testing is complete but hopefully we’ll be able to utilise this in the near future. Some good news to wrap up the week! Also see Sisk’s post here: https://lnkd.in/eVPHSFy4 #letsclosethegap #lowercarbonconcrete #decarbonisation

Brilliant to see the latest updates to The Institution of Structural Engineers' Sustainability Resource Map going live online. The map now contains more than 400 links to different aspects of sustainability related to structrual engineering: 🔍Get Informed - high-level information on climate and sustainability 🧮Low Carbon - calcs, limits and material specifics 🌿Lean Design - only using what you actually need 🔃Zero Waste - reuse and circularity guidance 🤯Influence the Brief - achieving clients' outcomes, with less stuff 📧Get Involved - next steps to take 📣Report and Share - write-ups on action, projects and individuals 🌱Regenerative - emerging thoughts on doing more good Most of the content links to #IStructE content, but there are quite a few external links too where we've found stuff of interest in the past. The document is fully searchable (ctrl+F) and clickable, so we hope can help you quickly find what you're looking for. Download the map now at https://lnkd.in/d2S4QRPh - and let us know if you can think of any improvements for the next update! #climateemergency #netzero #structuralengineering #structuralengineers #sustainability #guidance #training #CPD #UseLessStuff

❕ Following the publication of our report earlier this year, looking at the combination of the LCCG dynamic and Arup static benchmarks for embodied carbon of concrete in the UK, we have now publish, in conjunction with The Concrete Centre, the latest LCCG Market Benchmark 2024! ✅ The dynamic Market Benchmark is useful for assessing concrete against what has been specified and supplied in the market. 📣 This year's guide presents the 2024 LCCG Market Benchmark update, based on data from the MPA covering around 56% of the ready-mixed concrete produced in the UK in 2023 and supplemented by data from contractors and independent concrete suppliers. ➕ The data was based on a common carbon methodology - gross carbon emission data to EN 15804. You can read the publication below, and access the dataset via our website: https://lnkd.in/eqSck4EH #concretedecarbonisation #construction #lowcarbonconcrete

BSI Flex 350: the updated code of practice for lower carbon concrete is available now https://lnkd.in/e6yUBEys

Paul Astle wrote a piece a little ways back about the Low Carbon Concrete Routemap and what it means for you, which was published in the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) magazine, The Civil Engineer. With the increased focus on this area of construction across stakeholders in the sector, we thought it timely to share this and help you understand a bit more about the routemap and how you can use it. #construction #decarbonisation #lowcarbonconcrete

📢 Last week, ConcreteZero (Climate Group) published our report “Classification methodology for embodied carbon of concrete”. ✅ This document, prepared by Fragkoulis Kanavaris and Bruce Martin, coordinates the Market Benchmark, developed by the LCCG, with the Universal Classification, developed by Arup, and the Global Banding, developed by the GCCA – Global Cement and Concrete Association. 💡 The static and dynamic benchmarks form a powerful combination. The static benchmarks can be used to define a pathway to net zero. The pathway can be used in conjunction with the dynamic Market Benchmark to specify concrete that meets the pathway and is commercially available for the proposed use. Is this something that solves a challenge in your business? Let us know what you think! #concrete #netzero #embodiedcarbon #methodology

📦 As the need for decarbonisation in construction, and all other sectors, grows, and client engagement increases, there is increasing value in understanding the drivers across the supply chain. ❔ To this end, Ramboll, in partnership with the Climate Group (ConcreteZero and SteelZero), have launched a new global survey on lower-emission steel and concrete. 🏗 The purpose of this survey is to test the procurement appetite for lower carbon steel and concrete. It is most suitable for those who procure concrete or steel, though any stakeholder that influences procurement or specification would also have a very useful perspective, e.g. project managers, engineers, academics, technologists. The survey takes 5-8 minutes to complete and is totally anonymous, though you can volunteer to be contacted if you want to. The final deadline for submitting the survey is Friday 26th July, so please get your responses in soon. Link here: https://lnkd.in/d9jDJ_Db #lowercarbonconcrete #materialsdecarbonisation #industryinsights

Insurance is a topic that comes up time and again in conversations about the uptake of lower carbon concrete, so we thought we better get a bit more into the details and find out what's really going on. Thanks to Philippa Pearce, Gemma Tait and Barry Gibbs at WTW, we were able to gather construction experts on both the insurance and technology sides to delve into the issue. Our group member, Paul Astle, sets out his experience of the event below. Thank you to everyone that attended and contributed to the discussions! #lowercarbonconcrete #insurance #riskperception #construction

🏢🌍🤝 Arcas & Callisto Consulting with UK Lower Carbon Concrete Group Attend China’s Leading Concrete Exhibition In late May, our CEO, Jia W. LI Li, and Andrew Mullholland, Chairman of the UK Lower Carbon Concrete Group, were invited to the Concrete Exhibition in Nanjing, China. 🙌 We were honoured to be part of such a significant event and to have the opportunity to speak about collaboration and setting standards for low-carbon concrete! The exhibition is unmissable! As the world's largest producer of concrete and cement, China plays a crucial role in the global market. However, the country also faces significant pressure to reduce carbon emissions. China is actively exploring low-carbon production methods and seeking international cooperation. This exhibition provides the best window into the development of China's concrete and cement products 👀. We are dedicated to promoting the exchange and collaboration of green, low-carbon building materials technology globally ♻️🌱 . Jia highlighted various international collaboration opportunities, with a focus on the Horizon Europe research project, offering fresh perspectives for global cooperation. Andrew discussed the potential for collaboration between the UK and China in establishing international standards in the concrete industry. He believes that through international partnerships, we can improve consistency and quality in building standards, promoting a sustainable future. 🏗️🌱 A huge thank you to all participants for the great discussions and invaluable insights. 🙏💡We can’t wait to explore more opportunities to work together and drive the future of sustainable construction! #LowCarbonConcrete #Sustainability #InternationalCollaboration #GreenBuilding #CarbonNeutrality #InternationalStandards #HorizonEurope #BuildingMaterials #China #国际合作 #绿色建筑 #低碳混凝土 #低碳水泥 #中国混凝土展