All the greenwash in the world cannot disguise the fact that cement production remains one of the biggest contributors of CO2 emissions – churning out a massive 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide every year – some 2.5 billion tonnes, says Tony Sheridan, Group Commercial Director of Cemfree.
It is particularly galling when you discover that these emissions could be significantly reduced overnight with advanced alternative products that offer up to an 85% reduction in CO2. It is a good enough reason to pose the obvious question. Why when the climate crisis is very much evident and there are solutions – do we choose to ignore what’s in front of us?
Proven products such as Cemfree, from Cambridgeshire based manufacturer DB Group, have been around for more than a decade and have been successfully used on numerous high-profile projects across the UK delivering real carbon savings
On the other side of the debate we see big manufacturers planting trees and launching similar initiatives to offset carbon emissions, hailed as game changers, but in reality, they will and have done little to help the environment or climate change – just more greenwash.
When you scratch the surface, you also see companies rebranding existing Portland cement-based mixes that apparently become 'green' because they have a proportion of GGBS (Granulated Blast-furnace Slag) that has replaced some of the Portland cement. In reality, these mixes have been used for years to reduce costs as GGBS is cheaper than Portland cement. So, are we really saving carbon if we're using mixes that have been around for years? Most neutral observers will say no.
Unfortunately, the Government has also concentrated on renewable energy and totally ignored the opportunity to make significant and immediate carbon reductions within the construction sector, something they could achieve by exploring low carbon cement options – every building uses concrete – and now it can be cement free - so why not use it?
In fairness to the big cement manufacturers, they are trying to look at alternative manufacturing methods and carbon capture initiatives, but even the most positive industry experts concede that the best possible outlook by 2050 might be a 75% reduction in emissions – and that’s optimistic.
Against this background it makes no sense to ignore the alternatives. Products such as those made by Cemfree deliver similar levels of performance to that of Portland Cement, making them ideal for a wide range of design situations and applications, acting as a cement replacement for both structural and non-structural concrete projects. These include cast in situ concrete, precast and decorative concrete as well as mortars and screeds.
Architects in particular should also be looking at some of the other benefits. Cemfree dries to a vivid white colour, for example, to produce the look that many specifiers are searching for – and what a bonus for every design team when you consider that the Future Homes Standard currently rules that all newbuilds must now have a 30% lower carbon footprint.
So, what is Cemfree? In short, it is a complete replacement for Portland Cement but this is the technical explanation. It is a proprietary Cementitious Material (AACM) that activates pozzolanic materials such as Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) and Pulverised Fly Ash (PFA) to create a binder which can replace a variety of cement types.
Most importantly, it conforms to PAS8820:2016 which specifies the performance requirements for alkali-activated cementitious material comprising aluminosilicate main constituents and an alkali activator – in short, it does what it says on the tin.
In layman’s terms, Cemfree concrete can be designed to perform as good as conventional Portland cement-based concrete for many construction applications. So, while you may not wish to build a skyscraper using Cemfree, it will do for countless other purposes, especially when you consider that there's a lot of concrete used outside the building, in the construction of paving and walkways, for example.
All it takes is for Government to recognise the environmental impact that cement has and provide the incentives for the construction industry to really start making a difference to climate change. They have already given some massive grants to the big cement manufacturers to reduce carbon emissions so why not give grants for products such as Cemfree that have already achieved those targets? Surely there is no hidden agenda here.
The pressure to reduce carbon emissions is well and truly with us. We no longer have time on our side – what are we waiting for?
For more information visit: www.cemfree.com
