Tuesday 11 April 2023

Construction company switches to low carbon concrete for all sites

Construction company Laing O’Rourke has committed to all new projects in the UK being made with low carbon concrete.

Any project where main construction starts from April 2023 onwards will see standard concrete switched out for a low carbon equivalent.

Its concrete uses ground granulated blast-furnace slag and pulverised fly ash, which are both industrial by-products that have a much lower carbon footprint.

The business has worked alongside the universities of Sheffield and Cambridge to research the concrete, which it estimates will reduce its carbon emissions by 28% compared with last year.

This move adds to the company’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050 and is in partnership with Innovate UK.

Chief Operating Officer, Cathal O’Rourke, said: “In construction, the greatest challenge is reducing scope 3 emissions – the embodied carbon in purchased materials.

“Reducing all carbon emissions is a priority for our business. The built environment makes a significant contribution to global warming and constructors must work with clients and design partners to deploy new technologies and innovations that make modern methods the norm and enable us to build in less carbon intensive ways.”

Nusrat Ghani MP, Construction Minister, added: “I’m pleased to see the leadership Laing O’Rourke is showing, through innovating and adopting the use of low carbon concrete on all the construction projects it delivers."