Low Emission Concrete and Sustainable Construction | Reducing Carbon Footprint in Civil Projects | Green building NSW
Low emission concrete is a breakthrough in sustainable construction. SCE Corp implements green building NSW principles across civil and structural projects. With advancements in geopolymer and recycled aggregate technologies, SCE Corp is contributing to Australia’s decarbonisation roadmap.
Recently in Manchester, a new low-emission concrete made its commercial debut and drew strong attention across the construction industry. Concrete remains essential to modern construction, with its high compressive strength supporting the structural integrity of buildings and infrastructure. However, many people are unaware that cement and concrete production are major contributors to global carbon emissions, with the sector linked to around 8% of worldwide emissions. This new form of concrete, known as Concretene, provides concrete structural strength by implementing graphene in the production of the concrete. This allows for the concrete mix to require less raw materials, as well as less steel reinforcements as Concretene has significantly more tensile capacity than regular concrete. This reduction in materials and steel can reduce emissions by as much as 30%. Furthermore, graphene has the additional property of accelerating the bonding process between the different materials in the concrete mixtures Concretene has been able to achieve the equivalent strength of regular concrete after the 28 day curing process in only 12 hours.
Reducing Carbon Footprint in Civil Projects | Green building NSW
Despite all the advantages Sustainable concrete offers, however, the biggest factor in this new concrete’s lack of commercial use is due to the difficulty to mass produce graphene. Graphene can be easily formed at smaller scales, with sheet sizes such as 10×10mm being commercially available, but in the construction industry, much large sheets are needed and in such cases, it can be very difficult and expensive to acquire sheets of the appropriate size. As technology evolves and further studies are conducted on graphene, mass production of graphene sheets in various sizes will eventually become accessible, as a result, it is very likely that we will see Concretene become the industry standard in the near future.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is low emission concrete?
Sustainable concrete is a type of concrete designed to minimise carbon emissions during its production. It often incorporates innovative materials, like graphene, to enhance strength while using fewer raw materials.
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2. How does low emission concrete reduce carbon footprints?
This type of concrete reduces carbon footprints by requiring less raw material and less steel reinforcement. This can lead to a reduction in emissions by up to 30% compared to traditional concrete.
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3. What is the significance of Concretene in low emission concrete?
Concretene is a ground breaking form of low emission concrete that uses graphene to improve tensile strength and bonding processes, allowing it to achieve structural integrity much faster than traditional concrete.
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4. Will low emission concrete become the industry standard?
While low emission concrete shows great promise, challenges such as the mass production of graphene need to be addressed before it can become the industry standard.
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5. What are the advantages of using Sustainable concrete?
The advantages of this concrete include reduced material usage, lower carbon emissions, faster curing times and enhanced structural performance.
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6. Is low emission concrete more expensive than traditional concrete?
Currently, it can be more expensive due to the costs associated with producing graphene. However, as technology advances, these costs may decrease.
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7. What projects are suitable for low emission concrete?
This concrete is ideal for a variety of construction projects, especially those prioritising sustainability and lower environmental impact, such as commercial buildings and infrastructure.
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8. How does low emission concrete perform compared to regular concrete?
It often outperforms regular concrete in terms of strength and curing time, achieving the same structural integrity in a significantly shorter period.
For further details, please refer to sustainable construction NSW, green building NSW, low emission concrete.
9. What is the role of graphene in low emission concrete?
Graphene enhances the performance by improving tensile strength, accelerating the curing process and allowing for a reduction in the overall material required.
For further details, please refer to sustainable construction NSW, green building NSW, low emission concrete.
10. Are there any environmental benefits to using low emission concrete?
Yes, using this type of concrete helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, making it a more sustainable choice for construction, contributing positively to climate change mitigation.
For further details, please refer to sustainable construction NSW, green building NSW, low emission concrete.
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