Concrete is the second most used material in the world after water, and its production process accounts for 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a big challenge right up front. But more important is that we will continue to use vast amounts of it because of its reliability for structural integrity. As emissions rise, decarbonising concrete is urgent but also one of the most complex sustainability solutions that need to be found.
This is the work that the SmartCrete Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is tasked with.
The CRC has received $21 million in federal funding to invest in research and development projects and turn them into real-world commercial possibilities. It recently launched a new funding round, which closes on 9 September 2024.
Why is concrete such a big deal?
According to SmartCrete CRC chief executive officer Clare Tubolets, there are good reasons why we use so much concrete. It’s strong, durable and resistant to water, wind, fire, rust, and vibrations from earthquakes and other hazards. It’s relatively cheap and easy to produce, being made from commonly available materials – a mix of cement, sand, gravel and water.
It’s also an incredibly versatile building material that has the unique ability to be shaped into almost anything. These characteristics make concrete one of the world’s safest, most widely used and longest-lasting building materials.
Its use in buildings and infrastructure such as bridges means engineers are conservative in their specifications of the material and “for good reason”, Tubolets says. They’re not likely to be swayed by new material components in concrete until these are proven to be just as safe and reliable as the original product.
“We want to make sure that all of our infrastructure survives and performs in the way that you would expect it to under all of the various codes that we have.
“So when we’re talking about innovation in materials, there’s a big question about how those materials are going to perform over 50 to 100 years. How do we make sure that they actually do stay up, because a failure in infrastructure has the potential to be catastrophic.”
This is “necessary conservatism”, Tubolets says, and it’s something that can “really hamper the drive towards adoption of new lower carbon products and processes.”
Yet, there is exciting work underway.
SmartCrete CRC’s work
SmartCrete CRC’s mission is to help transition Australia’s concrete industry towards a sustainable, net zero future through investment in research and innovation. It’s currently working with 56 partner organisations, including industry groups, universities, government departments, engineering firms and peak bodies.
Its research program has three streams:
- Sustainable concrete – developing sustainable concrete mixes that incorporate waste products into production to support the circular economy and reduce emissions.
- Engineered solutions – improving material properties to make concrete stronger and more durable, driving sustainable design and construction methods.
- Asset management – finding ways to mitigate the degradation of existing concrete infrastructure to reduce the need for demolition and reconstruction.
Innovative achievements and projects
In 2021, SmartCrete CRC, in collaboration with Cement, Concrete and Aggregates Australia and the Cement Industry Federation, released a decarbonisation roadmap for Australia’s cement and concrete sector with multiple pathways. These include carbon capture, storage and utilisation (CCSU), as well as innovations in cement and other components of the concrete mix.
One standout example of CCSU is SmartCrete CRC’s partnership with MCi Carbon. This clean tech company has developed a mineral carbonation technology that captures and turns CO2 into carbon powders and low carbon footprint silica products to be used in construction. By tapping into the research expertise of the University of Technology Sydney, the partnership is exploring their use as a supplementary cementitious material in concrete.
Projects such as this create a triple win for decarbonisation, explains Tubolets, by capturing carbon from industrial emissions, storing it in building materials, and reducing the need for cement. This example is just one of 34 research projects currently supported by SmartCrete.
Barriers to net zero concrete
Despite many successes, the CRC has also discovered numerous barriers to decarbonisation, resulting in slow uptake of innovations in the sector. These include practical and commercial barriers (or “market enablers”), including:
- A need for new generation quality assurance and “accelerated ageing” testing for innovative processes and materials. Under Australian building codes, concrete infrastructure must be certified for longevity (40 years for roads, 50 years for buildings and 100 years for bridges), as failures can be catastrophic.
- Concrete production is capital investment heavy. This slows the uptake of innovations that require investing in new technology and assets like low carbon cement plant.
- Engineers can be held personally liable for any defects or faults if they specify materials not noted in the construction standards.
- A need for uniform concrete procurement specifications, standards and guidelines across Australian states, to streamline and harmomise procurement systems nationwide.
- A need for continue improvement in standardised carbon data measurement tools and a classification system for low carbon concrete.
- Complex supply chains that make it difficult to ensure sustainability aspects are fully incorporated at all stages, from supply through to onsite construction.
- Limited parthways for skills and knowledge transfer.
One example where barriers like these have influenced the commercialisation journey of a home-grown viable innovation is geopolymer concrete. Australia has led research into geopolymers in the past 40 years. Last year, significant progress was achieved when Standards Australia released a technical specification TS199 for alkali-activated concretes (including geopolymers) in April 2023. However, there is still limited update of geopolymer concrete in Australia.
SmartCrete CRC is currently talking to industry partners and investigating the market enablers of concrete decarbonisation. It hopes to release its findings later in the year.
Research funding is now available
Through the SmartCrete CRC Industry-led Research Collaborations Fund, the CRC is currently offering matched funding for collaborative, industry-led research and development projects focused on material change, new technologies and best practices for decarbonising concrete. Applications close on 9 September 2024.
On Thursday, 15 August, at 1pm, SmartCrete CRC is hosting an online information session covering the details of the funding round and answering any questions related to the application and assessment process.
Ideas for the future
Tubolets says there is a lot to be optimistic about, with numerous initiatives and innovations emerging to drive the decarbonisation of concrete.
They include:
- 3D concrete printing whilst minimising waste, for example, Conture3D, which manufactures Australian-built concrete 3D printing robotics.
- Replacing cement with lower carbon and more sustainable “cementitious materials”, such as natural pozzolans, a clay found in Australian soils and a component of ancient mortars.
- A Victorian government initiative called ecologiQ is looking into replacing the aggregate components of concrete (sand and gravel) with recycled plastic waste.
- New Zealand’s Kayasand uses mine tailings and recycled materials such as quarry crusher dust to manufacture artificial sand that needs less water and cement to make stronger concrete, potentially saving the industry 6000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
The long journey to decarbonisation
The path towards net zero concrete is a long one, and there are still numerous barriers to overcome, but Tubolets is hopeful that SmartCrete CRC can take the industry at least part of the way. “I think we can do some incredibly interesting and impactful work that will push the decarbonisation conversation forward. Yet, it’s not going to get us there; more work will need to be done.
“My hope is that SmartCrete CRC will be a catalyst – start the important discussions, demonstrate progress, and then leave the sector supercharged to continue on that journey.”
Smartcrete is currently working with Boral to develop the next generation of low carbon concrete in light of global short supply.
