Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

With a global consumption of approximately 14 billion m3, concrete is by far the most widely used man-made material. It accounts for about 8% of CO2 emissions worldwide, 90% of which can be attributed to cement clinker production. Substituting clinker in cement, and ultimately in concrete, with alternative materials can save considerable amounts of carbon emissions. The construction industry is actively called upon to contribute to achieving the ambitious CO2 reduction targets by taking clear action in a period of profound transformation. The introduction of the newly released cement standard (EN 197-5 2021) and the wide availability of cements with reduced clinker amount in the European market are just a couple of examples of this transformation. In this new environment, the precast segment, where a high dosage of CEM I is commonly used (clinker content ≥ 95%), is challenged to reduce CO2 emissions by clinker content reduction.