The Future of Sustainable Concrete in Construction

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Concrete is essential for establishing so many structures, whether this is the construction of a new property, the completion of a new major transport hub or the development of an offshore wind farm.

In fact, UK Concrete has stated in its UK Concrete and Cement Industry Roadmap to Beyond Net Zero 2025 Progress Report that more than 90 million tonnes of concrete will be consumed across the UK during a typical year.

Why is there a push for more sustainable concrete?

A lot of focus has been placed on sustainable concrete due to the UK government’s commitment to bring all greenhouse emissions to net zero by 2050. 

This legally binding target aims to be reached by first achieving a 68 per cent emissions reduction across the nation by the time we reach 2030, followed by an 81 per cent reduction by 2035.

With the manufacturing of cement deemed to account for around seven per cent of all global CO2 emissions, however, a focus has been placed on the concrete and cement industry to change their production practices.

There does appear to have been plenty of progress made already. As set out elsewhere in the UK Concrete and Cement Industry Roadmap to Beyond Net Zero 2025 Progress Report:

• An estimated 6.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from concrete and cement were recorded across the UK in 2023, which is down 21 per cent on the 2018 baseline that UK Concrete reported in its previous roadmap.
   

• CO2 emissions by the UK concrete and cement sector were 63 per cent lower in 2023 when compared to the figures recorded in 1990.
   

• Around 1.5 per cent of all CO2 emissions in the UK are attributed to concrete and cement – five times lower than the average recorded worldwide.

How does sustainable concrete differ from traditional concrete?

When you are working on construction projects, you can play your part in bringing these numbers down further by choosing sustainable concrete. 

This is because sustainable concrete differs from traditional concrete by:

1. Being a more durable type of concrete.

2. Being made with the use of recycled industrial waste produced from the coal industry.

3. Generating a fraction of the carbon footprint.

4. Needing less energy during production, while still being strong in its design.

The standout technology surrounding sustainable concrete

The market for sustainable concrete continues to grow all the time too, with plenty of innovations either already available or in various stages of development.

For example, geopolymers and lower-carbon binders allow concrete to be produced by using blast furnace slag, fly ash and other industrial by-products. Lignin-based additives have even created concrete formulations that are completely free of cement.

By replacing a lot of the cement in the production process, the carbon emissions recorded from the material can be lowered substantially.

Concrete no longer needs to rely heavily on sand and gravel to be produced either. Advancements in admixture technology means that hard rock aggregates and crushed rock fines from locally sourced quarries can now be used by producers.

Even the way that concrete is used is being revolutionised. You will be able to extend the lifespan of any structures you are tasked with creating by using self-healing concrete, for instance, as this material sees microcapsules or bacteria being used so that cracks can be fixed naturally. 

Then there is translucent concrete, which sees optical fibres in the material letting natural light flow through structures. As a result, the concrete stays strong while a structure can be built in a way that it can maximise how much daylight gets into the interior of a building.

Looking for more ways to become more sustainable in your line of work within the construction industry? Be sure to read our handy guide on everything you need to know about recycled aggregates.

We also aim to regularly keep you up to date about the latest ideas and innovations across all trades through the articles we publish within our excellent Trade Corner hub.