Concrete is the backbone of our infrastructure, providing the foundation for our roads, bridges and buildings. It quite literally supports civilisation, and staggeringly the only resource that is used more than concrete is water.
An essential ingredient of concrete is cement, which glues the other ingredients (typically, water, sand and gravel) together. Reaching back to technology developed in the 1800s, Portland cement is the most common type in use today. But as we’ll see below, this long-established cement technology – although considered “safe as houses” – comes with some hefty carbon emissions.
Between a rock and a hard place?
To put into perspective the impact of the cement/concrete industry on carbon emissions, if cement were a country it would be the fourth largest emitter of carbon dioxide after the USA, China and India. But where exactly does the bulk of those emissions come from?
The answer is the first stage of cement manufacture. Here limestone (calcium carbonate) is heated to 1400ºC to drive off carbon dioxide, leaving behind calcium oxide. For the chemists amongst you: CaCO3 + heat CaO + CO2
This reaction alone accounts for about 60% of cement-based carbon emissions, with the remaining 40% resulting from burning fuels to heat up the kilns. So why is such a “dirty” process still used on such a colossal scale? Quite simply, risk aversion. Our daily lives depend on the built environment, and safety is paramount. The reliability of tried and tested centuries-old technology provides trust that our infrastructure is built to last.
But, as we’ll see below, recent innovations in this area mean that reliability and sustainability don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Layer by layer
No longer limited to plastic resins, 3D printing is now being used in the construction industry. Revolutionary work by Saint-Gobain Weber has used large-scale 3D printers for the construction of bicycle bridges and houses in the Netherlands, and even a skate park for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Whilst traditional concrete casting uses cumbersome and labour intensive “formwork” (a mould that holds the wet concrete until it dries and can stand on its own), Saint-Gobain Weber’s concrete 3D printing uses a robotic arm to extrude concrete layer by layer to create structures from the bottom up. This allows access to complex geometries not attainable using traditional formwork. Plus, by printing concrete only where it is needed, it reduces CO2 emissions by 40-60%.
This technology was recently awarded the Kiwa Innovation Certificate in early 2025. As put by Saint-Gobain Weber, the award provides “objective proof that our 3D printed concrete elements meet the highest standards in terms of cohesion, dimensional stability, and aesthetics”.
Another dimension
Often celebrated as a “wonder material”, graphene is also making impressive inroads into the world of concrete. This two-dimensional material consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern (think an atomic sheet of chicken wire) and possesses remarkable properties such as exceptional strength, lightness, and high conductivity.
One innovator in this area is Concretene. Their graphene-based admixture improves the microstructure of cement, “offering improved strength, durability and corrosion resistance”. The addition of Concretene means less cement is required to provide an equivalent or improved performance, thereby driving down carbon emissions.
In the mix
Further innovations lie in the cement blend itself. Developed by Prof. Karen Scrivener and Prof. Fernando Martirena, Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (otherwise known as LC3) is a low-carbon alternative to traditional Portland cement.
LC3 replaces a proportion of traditional cement mix with a blend of limestone, calcined clay, and gypsum. The result? A cement blend that releases less carbon during manufacture (with reductions of up to 40%) and is capable of seamlessly fitting into current construction processes.
It’s electric!
Founded in 2022, Reclinker (formerly Cambridge Electric Cement) is a spin‑out from the University of Cambridge. Its mission is to produce a zero-emission, circular alternative to conventional Portland cement.
Instead of starting with fresh limestone (which, as mentioned above, must be calcined in high‑temperature kilns, releasing large amounts of CO2), Reclinker’s process recycles cement embedded in old concrete at the same time as recycling scrap steel. Here Reclinker have discovered that electric arc furnaces used in steelmaking provide the right conditions to reactivate recovered cement paste, without interfering with the steelmaking process.
Firm foundations
The examples above show that innovation doesn't have to mean compromising on reliability. From cutting-edge materials to advanced construction techniques, the concrete/cement industry continues pushing the boundaries to provide more sustainable solutions whilst upholding durability and performance. Clearly, innovation and reliability are not opposing forces but can be powerful partners, able to shape the future of construction. Indeed, eco-friendly cement has attracted significant venture capital funding in recent years, underscoring the commercial interest and potential market impact of this technology.
Watch this space for more blogs on recent advances in sustainable construction.
Rebecca is a UK & European patent attorney specialising in the chemistry and materials fields. She works at all stages of the patent lifecycle including invention capture, drafting, prosecution, and opposition proceedings. Rebecca is passionate about advancements in green chemistry, in particular green polymer materials. She has written several articles on this topic, reflecting her keen interest in emerging technologies.
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