As the industry struggles to comply with ambitious COP26 targets for Zero Carbon Concrete by 2050, we see many stakeholders looking to alternative Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) and reduced carbon-emitting ways of producing cement. While these efforts are worthwhile and can contribute to reducing the overall Carbon Footprint (CFP) of concrete, it is increasingly obvious the real solution will lie in combining various approaches to achieve maximum impact. Durability should be seen as a complementary approach to these measures, collectively contributing to a more sustainable concrete industry.
Increasing the service life (i.e. durability) of concrete to more than double its design life effectively reduces a building’s CFP by more than half. With the right design and use of smart crystalline durability admixtures (like PENETRON ADMIX), designers today can build structures that last 150 years or more. The value of CFP reduction and the resulting savings this brings to public infrastructure projects becomes obvious to all.
Buildings can now be designed to be repurposed multiple times. By replacing facades and adding additions, the need to demolish and re-build is avoided; the core concrete structure can serve building owners for a 2nd, 3rd, … reincarnation. Yes, this will require a paradigm shift in building codes and new design ideas, but the benefits of substantial CFP reductions attainable through a circular economy model in construction are worth the effort. In addition, the use of integral durability solutions will make high CFP membrane-type surface treatments – with their need for multiple repairs during the building’s service life – redundant.
By emphasizing durability and adopting a holistic approach that combines various sustainability strategies, the concrete sector can make substantial progress toward achieving Zero Carbon Concrete goals. The benefits extend beyond immediate CFP reductions to long-term sustainability, resilience, and resource efficiency for our industry.
Download our “Towards Zero Carbon Concrete” brochure to learn more. Click here.
A lifecycle-assessment based on the enhanced durability features of PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete was the core concern of a recent study undertaken by the Politecnico di Milano at Genoa Area Centrale Wastewater Treatment Plant. Read more about this study and other projects around the world that benefitted from Penetron solutions in our Penetron Worldwide section below.
With kind regards,
Jozef Van Beeck
Director, International Sales & Marketing