Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1511965
Sensors mounted within the drums of ready mix trucks gather information on exactly how the substance performs as it is poured. D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 | 11 Concrete P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y H EI D EL B ERG M AT ER I A L S project," says Shane Mulligan, Heidelberg Materials' sustainability and technical marketing manager. "EvoBuild is focused on working with different stake- holders along the project value chain to highlight the opportunities that exist with lower carbon concrete." Heidelberg Materials is also involved in load assurance whereby sensors are mounted within the drums of ready mix trucks as well as on rebar in concrete pour jobsites; these sensors gather infor- mation on exactly how the substance performs as it is poured and cures. "This allows operators to make adjustments and reduce waste as well as improve batches before they leave the plant," Mulligan says. Rob Cumming, head of sustainability and pub- lic affairs at Lafarge Canada Ltd., reports that his company continues to enjoy success with its ECOPact brand, the world's broadest range of low-carbon con- crete offering up to 90 percent lower CO 2 emissions compared to standard (CEM I) concrete, and with no compromise in performance. The range includes a basic 30 percent carbon reduction solution; ECOPact Prime (over 50 percent reduction); and all the way to ECOPact Zero (total carbon neutrality). However, Cumming stresses the Pact aspect of ECOPact when discussing Lafarge's future initia- tives. "Pact suggests working relationships, and that's what we're fostering with our customers," he says. "Increasingly, they are discovering that by consulting with us they can achieve significant reductions in carbon intensity at no or minimal costs. We provide specific solutions – exactly the right concrete properties required for any given job – while assuring they achieve desired performance." ECOPact comes with third party-certified quan- tifiable data that confirms the reduced carbon, calculating improvements based on CO2 values from all of Lafarge's raw material procurement, transportation, and production. Cumming adds that such services are becoming vital and cites the Toronto Green Building stan- dard as a regulatory body whose newest mandate requires builders to offset all embodied carbon in construction projects in that jurisdiction. "We'll continue to see more advancements on these fronts, hence our continued focus on ECOPact." But not everyone in the concrete realm was exclusively focused on decarbonisation in 2023. Kingston-based Anchor Concrete Products Limited's ongoing mission, which it advanced this year by working to secure licensing agreements with devel- opers globally, is unique: CEO Jeff Bradfield wants to spearhead a paradigm shift in the way homes are built – and help solve the chronic housing short- age not only in Canada but also in the U.S., Brazil, Africa, and many other parts of the globe. He intends to do so thanks to having intro- duced (in 2021) a modular building system under the name of Lodestar Structures Inc. This building system combines the resilience of precast concrete PRODUCTS • Black, Stainless & Epoxy Coated Rebar • Threaded Rebar • Welded Wire Mesh • Reinforcing Steel Accessories • Plain Round Bars • Post Tensioning Systems • Mechanical Couplers SERVICES • Consultation • Budgeting • Estimating • Detailing • Fabrication • Installation QUALITY, VALUE, TRUST Trusted since 1985 HERITAGESTEEL.COM 9718 197B Street, Langley, BC V1M 3G3 | 604.888.1414 MEMBERS OF: Heritage Steel Sales.indd 1 Heritage Steel Sales.indd 1 2023-05-11 8:39 AM 2023-05-11 8:39 AM