Last week, a few of us from AMP had the opportunity to visit Holcim and London Concrete to learn about the work they are doing to reduce the environmental impact of the concrete they produce. We started in the recycling yard where various piles of concrete elements were being broken down into aggregate, filtered and graded. This concrete included elements from demolished structures as well as surplus concrete from recent works. This aggregate could then be used in its present condition, or undergo a further process to remove the cement paste, resulting in clean aggregate ready to be reused. When talking about the environmental impact of materials, its key to draw attention to where the materials originate from - creating a robust circular economy in this case reduces the need to extract virgin aggregate halfway across the country, indirectly reducing carbon emissions through mining and transport. We then got a chance to view their Neustark operations, where the cement-covered recycled aggregate is immersed in liquid CO2 (captured from Biomass processes), taking advantage of the cements inherent ability to absorb carbon dioxide. This naturally occurring, albeit rapidly accelerated process allows a lot more of the concrete to sequester carbon dioxide that otherwise would be released into the atmosphere. A prototype stage process at the moment, but nevertheless a promising step towards a more eco-friendly use of concrete. Thanks to Holcim and London Concrete for hosting us and Ambit for the invitation!
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