In keeping with its commitment to be “the leading authority on ultra low carbon concrete technology,” CCP Building Products says it has successfully trialled the production of a UK-first cement-free, carbon negative concrete block.
“Greenbloc Technology is the heartbeat of innovation at CCP,” comments Phil Rotheram, GM of CCP. “The continuous improvement mindset that drives our business presented an opportunity to challenge our innovation and technical teams on just how low we could take the embodied carbon within our product, or, revolutionary, completely remove it.”
Considering the pace at which the market is moving to enhance the built environment and improve the sustainability of British construction, CCP states that constantly developing technologies like Greenbloc enables it to maximise its value to their customers.
Ian St Hillaire, Technology & Innovation Director for CCP’s parent group SigmaRoc UK, explains the thinking: “Maintaining the relevance of ultra low carbon concrete as the client’s premier choice of material for their projects is vital for our ongoing business growth. With this in mind, we set about producing trial samples of concrete blocks at site production scale to push the boundaries of possible.
“This led to some exciting developments in our Greenbloc technology using Carbon8 carbon-negative aggregate. Combining the alternative aggregate with cement-free technology in the right proportions allows us to successfully produce a concrete block that is not only ultra-low in carbon embodiment but is actually carbon negative.”
The results are described as being particularly encouraging:
Concrete blocks that are 110% less carbon than those produced using 100% Original Portland Cements (OPC), making them carbon negative.
Blocks exhibit the same aesthetics, quality and strength as those produced using 100% OPC.
There is potential to increase the carbon reduction to 125%.
Phil Rotheram concludes: “The key differentiator that makes CCP the customer’s choice for value is the quality of the product that we manufacture and service consistently. Excitingly, this breakthrough enables us to lead our market in sustainability and help our customers win more of the projects that they wish to tender for.
“Working in partnership with our customers is a natural part of our everyday and product development on this scale only works to satisfy their needs, and their clients expectations further. Ian and his team will be full steam ahead to next upscale the plant trials and then formally produce supporting EPDs to not only establish the product as fit for purpose but also to prove the carbon negative claims.”
For more information, visit www.ccp.ltd
Supplying the construction industry for over 60 years, CCP Building Products is a manufacturer and trade supplier of pre-cast concrete products and aggregates in the North West of England and North Wales. Since 2018, CCP has been a proud member of the SigmaRoc PLC family, a specialist quarries and materials group operating across Europe.
