Cemex partners with Ecocem to support UK airport with lower carbon concrete trial

Cemex, a global building materials supplier, has announced its collaboration with Heathrow Airport in London, UK and Ecocem on a trial aimed at exploring the potential of lower carbon concrete at the airport site.

The trial involves a comprehensive evaluation of the concrete’s durability and longevity in a real-life airport environment, following extensive lab and plant tests. Two lower carbon solutions will be put to the test initially: a mix with 50% GGBS (Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag) called Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) and a zero-clinker product.

The eco-friendly concrete formulations will be poured at the airport’s designated site under the watch tower, as part of a phased process to assess their strength and resilience in practical conditions.

Jacobs is leading the project’s implementation, with Cemex and Ecocem playing vital roles in this initiative. The goal is to evaluate the lower carbon concrete’s suitability for various applications within the airport, including main airport areas, groundworks, and auxiliary purposes.

Given the airport’s high traffic volume with aircraft taking off and landing every 45 seconds before the pandemic, it is crucial that the concrete undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it can withstand the pressures of one of the busiest airports globally.

The insights gathered from this trial will be used to develop a blueprint that other airports can follow to reduce carbon emissions across all operations. This partnership signifies a significant step towards a more sustainable future for the aviation industry.

Richard Kershaw, Technical Manager at Cemex said, “We were the first supplier in the UK to launch a net-zero concrete product, making us ideally situated to support Heathrow with their lower carbon concrete trial. We hope this trial will prove successful and demonstrate to the aviation sector the opportunities available to cut emissions during their development projects.”