A New Zealand cement company has launched a new, more environmentally-friendly type of cement based on an old Roman recipe. HR Cement in the port city of Tauranga examined ancient Roman concrete mixtures for inspiration for its low-carbon footprint cement, ‘eco-cem’.
HR Cement has combined ancient methods with modern manufacturing techniques to create the more eco-friendly cement.
The company’s Managing director Chris Hall that said eco-cem had the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete used on construction sites by 15 per cent to 30 per cent.
"Our focus when developing eco-cem was to produce a cement that has no downsides compared to the standard general purpose cement available, coupled with all the clear advantages of a pozzolanic cement, at a similar cost," Hall said.
The company said that eco-cem will get stronger over time, and provide increased abrasion resistance and improved durability.
According to HR Cement, if eco-cem cement was used instead of standard cement, it could possibly result in a reduction of 200,000 to 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.