Concrete

(Re)discovering Alternative Raw Materials are Essential to the Green Cement Plant

Published

4 years ago

June 10, 2022

admin

As the realities of climate change continue to hit home, social pressure on heavy emitters is increasing and financial pressure will follow, forcing cement producers to act. The cement industry has a responsibility to follow through on its promises to decarbonise.

As a leading supplier to the industry, FLSmidth feels this responsibility keenly. This article is an overview of the options to decarbonise – reducing the clinker factor. As we will learn, the green cement plant of the future may not look so different from a plant you would see today, but it is. The difference is in the way it is operated, what is being put into it, and some of the supporting technology.

Fly ash – set to get a second wind
As the cement industry faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental footprint – no stone is left unturned in attempts to reduce CO2 emissions. Fly ash has been used for decades to avoid the resource intensive limestone clinker, but shortages have led experts to debate; have we reached the full potential for fly ash in cement or could harvesting landfills give fly ash a second wind?
Fly ash is a great supplementary cementitious material – it has the right properties, meaning that it reacts with lime to form cementitious compounds. It is a by-product from coal-firing industries, but in some cases has ended up in landfills – especially up until 1929, when it was first used in concrete to minimise the use of cement when building the massive Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the USA.
With the potential to replace up to 30 per cent of traditional clinker, fly ash quickly became very attractive to the cement industry and a sought-after commodity. Today, as the green transition of power plants and other heavy industry is accelerating – some countries are phasing out coal and turning towards green energy, natural gas, and/or biofuels, with the result being that fly ash is now in short supply.But just as steel, paper and sugar industries are eager to minimise their environmental footprint, so is cement. And the use of fly ash is both a proven and effective ingredient. The shortage of fresh fly ash has led more and more industry stakeholders to turn their attention towards the centuries of landfilled fly ash.
To date, billions of tonnes of fly ash have been landfilled. ‘Harvesting’ fly ash from these landfills makes some industry experts confident that this waste-product could have a second wind in cement.
“As we strive towards fulfilling our MissionZero promise of enabling net zero cement production by 2030, we need every tool in the toolbox. Reducing the clinker factor is a key element to that. Fly ash is a proven and well-integrated SCM – to pursue the exploitation of landfilled fly ash would obviously boost our efforts.”
To Thomas Petithuguenin, Head of Research and Partnerships for Cement, FLSmidth, every possible path to MissionZero needs to be explored.
“I am not saying that fly ash harvesting is a quick-win, but from a product point of view, it is a known ingredient and gives confidence in terms of quality and performance. The challenge is the logistics and infrastructure, which we need to investigate with stakeholders across the value chain.”

Upcycled concrete – a massive business opportunity
Repurposing of construction waste is a global, multi-billion-dollar business – to the cement industry it looks to be a win-win situation. As the world’s leading equipment supplier to both the Cement- and Mining industries, FLSmidth is well-positioned to support its customers in capturing a piece of the pie, says Petithuguenin.
At an annual growth rate of 4 per cent, the global construction and demolition waste management market is projected to be worth $142.92 billion in 2028. Combined with the cement industry’s acute need to reduce its environmental footprint, we see an increasing interest from customers exploring how to enter the market.
The recycling of concrete is not a new business case – different technologies and applications have been deployed for decades, but most often in terms of ‘downcycling’ where material will end up as road fill. Today, the average Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) recycling rate in Europe is around 70 per cent and even though it still substitutes the use of virgin material, actual ‘upcycling’ has a massive potential of producing high-value materials out of tonnes of construction waste every year.
By upcycling concrete, we are not only able to leave virgin, raw materials in the ground, we are also able to reduce the need for traditional, resource-intensive clinker. At a time when no stone is left unturned in the quest for CO2 savings from cement production, reusing recycled cement fines as a filler, supplementary cementitious material (SCM) or by converting them into belite clinker is an attractive business-case.
The sustainability aspects of upcycling go hand-in-hand with cost-savings from eliminating the excavation of new raw-materials and a majority of the fuel and energy required for the calcination process of limestone.
According to the International Energy Association, the integration of emerging technologies like lowering the clinker-factor in cement and carbon capture is identified to provide some of the largest cumulative CO2 reductions in the 2-degree Celsius Scenario (2DS) compared to the Reference Technology Scenario (RTS) by 2050.
As we move into an industrial scale process of turning old concrete to a new cementitious material, we would need to do a few extra steps to get as pure aggregates, sand and cement fines as possible. A procedure that involves process knowledge within crushing and screening and just as important, some heavy-duty equipment such as a jaw crusher, impact crusher, cone crusher, elliptical screens, classifiers, and bag filters.
After crushing, the aggregates and sand are used in new concrete, with the potential to substitute 100% of the natural aggregates and sand needed. The cement fines, left from the crushing and grinding are ready to be converted into a belite clinker, most likely at an urban processing plant, whereafter it is mixed with OPC clinker at a 30-70 per cent ratio and reused on site – reducing the climate footprint of both the old and new building, bridge or road project. Another option is to take the cement fines back into the cement industry and carbonate them, which will activate them to SCMs – allowing their mixing with clinker (and reducing the clicker proportion, therefore, the CO2 emissions).
Today, an office building has an expected lifespan of 20 years, and a residential building a lifespan of 30-50 years. That’s extremely short and underlines the need for upcycling. If the industry is to support an accelerating urbanisation, the winners of the construction industry will be the ones who see opportunities in waste, which can be used again and again. And they will be the ones getting the building-licences from government authorities.

Mine tailings – a potential goldmine for cement
Tailings are both a safety issue and a huge financial burden to miners. But to cement and concrete producers they might hold a massive reservoir of untapped potential. With a shared ambition to reduce the environmental footprint of both cement and mining operations, FLSmidth is well-positioned to support its customers inturning mine tailings into value-added products, says Petithuguenin.
Mine tailings are the leftovers after the processing and extraction of metals and minerals from the basic ores. The total amount of mine tailings in active and inactive, closed storages around the world is estimated at more than 200 km3. Any attempt to describe the volumes easily fails as these enormous amounts are hard to grasp, but imagine a cube, six by six kilometres, weighing approximately 280 billion tonnes.
As an old proverb goes, ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’. To miners, mine tailings are a costly by-product, which are difficult to manage due to the large quantities. They can pose a safety risk due to the instability of storage facilities further hampered by the material fineness and moisture content. Some of these challenges are mitigated with tailings storage solutions such as dry-stacking, backfilling the tailings material in old mine pits, and using them as aggregates in the construction industry. However, for many miners, safe and secure tailings storage is still a major issue.
To others, the mine tailings present an opportunity as an alternative building material or potentially even a carbon sink if there is a CO2 source nearby. Recent research shows that mine tailings can be processed to form supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) or geopolymers.
The mining industry recognises the prospect of turning mine tailings into value-added products, while also focusing on reducing tailings altogether.
“Increasing demand for metals critical to the energy transition, such as copper and nickel, will lead to greater production of mine waste like tailings under the current production processes. Alongside our members’ commitment to the safe management of their tailings facilities, ICMM’s goal is to significantly reduce or eliminate tailings. As part of this, we are working with members to make operations at their mine sites more circular by improving process efficiencies to reduce waste at its source, as well as creating value from waste such as tailings,” says Christian Spano, Director of Innovation, International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).
Reducing the use of the resource-intensive clinker in cement production is one of the technologies that will provide the largest cumulative CO2 reductions in the 2-degree Celsius Scenario (2DS), according to the International Energy Association. And with the urgency of climate change – no stone should be left unturned by the cement industry in its quest for CO2 saving – reusing mine tailings as a filler or an SCM can be an attractive business-case.
“As a leading supplier to both the cement and mining industry, FLSmidth is in a unique position to engage both parties to establish an efficient and commercially viable value chain for both industries,” says Petithuguenin – working closely with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to connect the dots. “The idea of using mine tailings in construction is not new, but the increasing need for sustainable SCMs is accelerating efforts to establish large-scale processes. In this work, which will include universities and experts from across different sectors, FLSmidth will use its vast process knowledge to optimise designs of the technology needed to produce a quality output.”

Up Next

Total Fuel Management with Biodiesel

Don't Miss

Ramco Cements plans for at least Rs 1,200 cr capex in two years

Concrete

Cement Makers’ Margins To Fall Rs 50-75 Per Tonne Amid West Asia Conflict

Crisil Sees Margins Easing Despite Steady Demand

Published

3 weeks ago

July 29, 2026

admin

Crisil said operating margins of Indian cement manufacturers are expected to decline by Rs 50-75 per tonne (t) this fiscal to Rs 925-950 per t due to higher input costs triggered by the West Asia conflict. The analysis covered 18 cement companies accounting for nearly 90 per cent of India’s domestic cement capacity and noted margins had improved sharply to around Rs 1,000 per t in fiscal 2026.

Crisil noted that the reduction would be driven mainly by higher power and fuel costs, which account for about 30 per cent of total costs, as petcoke and imported coal prices have surged amid geopolitical uncertainties. Freight costs, which account for about a quarter of total costs, are also expected to remain elevated because of higher diesel prices. The impact on profitability is likely to be more pronounced in the first half of the fiscal year before easing commodity prices moderate cost pressures later.

The rating agency said steady domestic demand and strong balance sheets should keep credit profiles stable despite the moderation in margins. Green energy currently accounts for 35-40 per cent of the sector’s total electricity consumption and is expected to partly cushion higher energy costs. Operating cash flows are likely to remain resilient, supported by projected 6-7 per cent growth in cement demand this fiscal.

Crisil highlighted that demand growth will be driven primarily by infrastructure spending, which meets about one-third of sector consumption, and by a nearly 18 per cent higher budgetary allocation for core ministries that should support project execution. Weaker rural housing demand amid pressure on agricultural incomes from a possible below-average monsoon may be offset by improved urban housing demand supported by favourable home-loan rates and a strong pipeline of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban projects. Ongoing capacity additions will keep capital expenditure elevated and may lift net debt to EBITDA to between 1.2 and 1.4 times from around 1.0 time last fiscal, though ratios are expected to remain healthy.

Concrete

UltraTech Board Approves Rs 50 bn Fundraise Via NCDs

Company to issue half a million debentures for expansion plan

Published

3 weeks ago

July 28, 2026

admin

UltraTech Cement’s board of directors has approved raising Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 bn) through non?convertible debentures issued in rupees.

The finance committee cleared a proposal to issue up to 500,000 fully paid, unsecured, listed, rated, redeemable, rupee?denominated, non?convertible, non?cumulative debentures of Rs 1 lakh each (Rs 0.1 mn each), aggregating to the Rs 5,000 crore programme.

As of June 2026 the firm reported net debt of Rs 15,875 crore (Rs 158.75 bn) and said its capacity expansion projects under execution are backed by capital expenditure of about Rs 17,000 crore (Rs 170 bn) over the next two to two?and?a?half years.

UltraTech spent Rs 9,500 crore (Rs 95 bn) on capital expenditure in financial year 2026 and in April the group crossed 200.1 mn tonnes per annum of domestic grey cement capacity and 205.5 mn tonnes per annum of global capacity.

The chief financial officer indicated the company would take consolidated capacity beyond 242 mn tonnes per annum, with grey cement capacity reaching 212.7 mn tonnes per annum by the end of financial year 2027. He noted the net debt?to?earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation ratio stood at 0.87 times as of June 2026 and the company was confident of ending financial year 2027 with the ratio below one time.

In the first quarter of financial year 2026?27 UltraTech’s net profit attributable to owners rose 16.8 per cent year?on?year to Rs 2,599.3 crore (Rs 25.993 bn) and revenue from operations increased 15.9 per cent to Rs 24,648.20 crore (Rs 246.482 bn). The board approval is expected to complement internal cash flows as the company advances its expansion programme.

Concrete

Reimagining the Future

Published

4 weeks ago

July 21, 2026

admin

From LC3 and AI-driven kilns to RDF gasification, ICR explores the full breadth of technological innovation reshaping India’s cement industry. Low-carbon materials, digital manufacturing, alternative fuels and breakthrough concrete science are collectively advancing the sector’s transition from high-emission commodity producer toward a net-zero, infrastructure-ready future.

Innovation has become the defining force shaping the future of the cement industry. As the world’s second-largest cement producer, India is witnessing rising demand driven by infrastructure development, urbanisation, affordable housing, and industrial growth. At the same time, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that cement production accounts for nearly 7 per cent to 8 per cent of global CO2 emissions, with clinker manufacturing contributing the largest share, making innovation an operational necessity. The industry is therefore investing heavily in low-carbon cement technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), digital manufacturing, alternative fuels, renewable energy and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). Innovations such as limestone calcined
clay cement (LC3), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), AI-driven process optimisation and automated quality control are enabling manufacturers to produce more sustainable, efficient, and high-performance cement.
According to the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), achieving net-zero emissions will require a combination of material innovation, digital transformation, circular economy practices and collaborative research, making innovation central to the industry’s long-term competitiveness and India’s sustainable infrastructure growth.

Next-generation cement
The future of cement lies in reducing its dependence on clinker-the most carbon-intensive component of cement-through the adoption of low-carbon materials and advanced blended cement technologies. Products such as Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), Portland Slag Cement (PSC), Portland Composite Cement (PCC), and LC3 are driving this shift by replacing clinker with SCMs like fly ash, GGBS, calcined clay and limestone.
According to GCCA, SCMs can replace 30 to 50 per cent of clinker, with some applications exceeding 70 per cent, significantly reducing carbon emissions without compromising strength or durability. These blended cements also improve concrete performance by enhancing durability, reducing permeability, and increasing resistance to chloride and sulphate attacks. As the availability of traditional SCMs declines with the decarbonisation of the power and steel sectors, the industry is increasingly exploring alternative materials and next-generation cement formulations to support long-term sustainability.
Shrivats Singhania, Deputy Managing Director, JK Lakshmi Cement, says, “Innovation is enabling the cement industry to address one of its most important challenges – producing more with fewer resources and lower emissions. Across the value chain, manufacturers are deploying technologies that simultaneously improve operational efficiency and advance sustainability goals. For example, greater adoption of alternative fuels, waste heat recovery systems, renewable energy, and digital process controls is helping reduce energy consumption and optimise resource utilisation. Data-driven manufacturing allows plants to monitor operations in real time, improve equipment reliability, minimise downtime, and reduce wastage, resulting in both environmental and economic benefits.”
“Meaningful progress is also being achieved through material innovation. The growing use of blended cements and next-generation products such as LC3 reduces dependence on clinker, the most carbon-intensive component of cement production, thereby lowering embodied carbon without compromising performance,” he adds.
Among emerging technologies, LC3 has gained global recognition as one of the most promising low-carbon cement innovations. In a standard formulation, LC3 comprises approximately 50 per cent clinker, 30 per cent calcined clay, 15 per cent limestone, and 5 per cent gypsum. LC3 can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40 per cent compared with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) while delivering comparable strength and enhanced durability. Its reliance on abundant, locally available raw materials, rather than industrial by-products, makes it highly scalable and well suited to countries like India.
According to the LC3 Project, nearly 75 per cent of cement plants worldwide could adopt LC3 using existing manufacturing infrastructure, potentially reducing global CO2 emissions by over 400 million tonnes annually, if adopted at scale globally. India’s introduction of BIS standard IS 18189:2023 for LC3, coupled with its adoption in projects such as the Noida International Airport, marks a step toward commercial implementation. As demand for sustainable construction grows, LC3 is poised to become a cornerstone of low-carbon infrastructure development.

Making of a smart cement plant
The modern cement plant is rapidly evolving into a digitally connected, AI-enabled manufacturing ecosystem where data drives every aspect of production – from raw material proportioning and kiln operations to quality control, maintenance and energy management.
According to IEA, digital technologies can improve energy efficiency in heavy industries by 10 per cent to 20 per cent. Advanced process control systems in cement plants have demonstrated the potential to reduce thermal energy consumption by 3 to 5 per cent, lower electricity consumption by 2 to 10 per cent, and improve kiln throughput and clinker quality. AI-powered predictive maintenance further helps reduce unplanned equipment downtime by 30 to 50 per cent and extend equipment life by continuously analysing sensor data to detect failures before
they occur.
Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO, Fornnax Technology, says, “AFR is no longer viewed solely as a sustainability initiative. It has become a strategic business priority for cement manufacturers. Rising fuel costs, stricter environmental regulations, and growing pressure to reduce dependence on conventional fuels are accelerating AFR adoption across the industry. However, the success of an AFR project depends heavily on how effectively waste is processed before it reaches the kiln. Poor preprocessing can negatively impact kiln performance, fuel efficiency, and emission control systems. Inconsistent fuel
quality often forces operators to make frequent adjustments, reducing throughput and increasing energy consumption.”
Dr Kapil Kukreja, General Manager, NCCBM, says, “Variations in composition, particle size, and calorific value can lead to inconsistent combustion behaviour resulting in fluctuating heat release patterns. These fluctuations can affect process stability, temperature control and clinker quality. Additionally, incomplete combustion of RDF particles can result in increased emissions, higher unburnt carbon content, and operational difficulties within the calciner system. Higher ash and inert content of RDF can dilute the clinker quality and reduce calciner efficiency.”
Meanwhile, digital twins are allowing manufacturers to simulate entire production processes, optimise kiln performance, evaluate process changes virtually, and reduce operational risks before implementation. Automated Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), coupled with online and offline XRF and XRD analysers, are delivering real-time monitoring of clinker chemistry and mineralogy, ensuring tighter quality control, lower clinker variability and more consistent cement performance.
Dr Prateek Sharma, Group Project Manager, NCCBM, explains, “Chlorides and alkalis present in RDF can lead to excess buildup and blockages in the kiln and calciner increasing the downtime of cement plants. Hence, issues with direct utilisation of RDF establishes the need for fuel conditioning and alternative utilisation approaches that can maximise the energy potential of RDF while minimising adverse impacts on plant operation. RDF gasification emerges as an efficient tool for converting solid RDF into syngas which can be used as a fuel with improved characteristics.”
Digitalisation and intelligent manufacturing will be among the most critical enablers of achieving the cement industry’s net-zero ambitions by improving operational efficiency while simultaneously reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, confirms a GCCA report.

From research to reality
While the cement industry has made remarkable progress in developing breakthrough technologies, the transition from laboratory research to large-scale commercial deployment remains one of its greatest challenges. The successful adoption of innovations such as LC3), CCUS, advanced alternative fuels, green hydrogen and novel SCMs depend not only on technical feasibility but also on economic viability, regulatory support, raw material availability, and market acceptance.
Veerendra Jamdade, CEO and Founder, Vritti Solutions, states, “The cement industry has a market that is constantly in flux, due to factors such as infrastructure investment, seasonality of demand, fuel costs, building activity by region and general economic cycles; therefore, having accurate forecasts is very important in this type of market. Traditional ERP systems are primarily data repositories with limited analytic functionality; thus, they capture transactional and operational information but generally lack advanced analytical capabilities for converting captured data into actionable information. This
affects everything from demand forecasting and inventory planning through procurement and production scheduling.”
According to IEA, technologies that are still at the demonstration or early commercial stage-including CCUS and next-generation low-carbon binders-are expected to contribute nearly 40 per cent of the emissions reductions required for the global cement sector to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, underscoring the importance of accelerating their scale-up. This requires robust R&D ecosystems, stronger collaboration between cement manufacturers, research institutions, technology providers,
equipment suppliers, and policymakers, as well as supportive standards and financial incentives to reduce investment risks.
Ashutosh Pandita, Director – Head, Cement Business, TKIL Industries, elaborates, “The cement industry’s most transformative innovation today is the increased use of alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR), supported by advanced feeding systems and process technologies that are driving both operational efficiency and decarbonisation. Looking ahead, oxyfuel combustion and carbon capture technologies remain underappreciated but hold immense potential for enabling deep reductions in carbon emissions and accelerating the industry’s journey towards net-zero production. By 2030, cement manufacturing is expected to become significantly more sustainable, energy-efficient, and technology-driven, with widespread adoption of AFR, low-clinker cement technologies, greater digitalisation and automation, and the early commercial deployment of carbon capture solutions, all supported by stronger industry collaboration and a shared commitment to achieving long-term sustainability goals.”
In India, organisations such as the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM), leading academic institutions, and major cement companies are working together to develop and validate emerging technologies, while the introduction of standards such as IS 18189:2023 for Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) marks a significant step towards commercial adoption. However, challenges such as high capital investment, long validation cycles, limited infrastructure for technologies like CCUS, fluctuating availability of alternative raw materials, and customer acceptance continue to slow implementation. Bridging the gap between research and commercial reality will therefore require sustained investment in innovation, knowledge-sharing, pilot projects, policy support, and industry-wide collaboration to ensure that promising technologies evolve into scalable, economically viable solutions capable of transforming the future of cement manufacturing.

Creating a green future
Clinker production will increasingly rely on low-carbon technologies such as LC3, high-volume SCMs, AFR, renewable energy, waste heat recovery, and eventually CCUS, enabling manufacturers to significantly reduce their environmental footprint.
Achieving net-zero concrete by 2050 will require a combination of clinker substitution (around 37 per cent of cumulative CO2 reductions), carbon capture technologies (approximately 36 per cent), and improvements in thermal efficiency, renewable energy, and circular economy practices.
Industry Expert SA Khadilkar comments, “Customer requirements are a key driver of innovation in the cement industry, influencing product development, process improvements, sustainability initiatives, and digital solutions. Innovation is most effective when it addresses real market needs, particularly in areas such as performance, durability, and application-specific requirements. Around a decade ago, ACC and Ambuja Cements (now Adani Cement) recognised this shift and introduced performance-oriented blended cement brands with enhanced durability, reduced water penetration, and OPC-like properties. Their success encouraged other major cement manufacturers to develop specialised cement brands with unique performance characteristics, demonstrating how product innovation has evolved to meet changing customer expectations.”
“Ultimately, customer expectations have transformed innovation from a technology-driven exercise into a market-driven strategy, ensuring that new developments create measurable value across the construction value chain,” he adds.
India is expected to add nearly 500 million square metres of urban built-up area by 2030, driving sustained demand for greener, more durable, and higher-performing construction materials, according to NITI Aayog. Meeting this demand will require cement manufacturers to evolve from commodity producers into integrated providers of sustainable building solutions, supported by data-driven manufacturing, collaborative R&D, customer-centric product innovation, and circular resource management. The cement plant of tomorrow will therefore be defined not only by its production capacity but also by its ability to manufacture smarter, cleaner, and more sustainable construction materials that support India’s ambitious infrastructure and climate goals.

Conclusion
The path ahead is clear in its direction, if not yet in its pace. India’s position as the world’s second-largest cement producer, combined with its infrastructure ambitions and its 2070 net-zero commitment, makes this transition both urgent
and consequential.
What this article has made evident is that no single technology will carry the industry to net zero. LC3 addresses clinker dependency. Digital manufacturing addresses efficiency and waste. Alternative fuels address fossil fuel dependence. CCUS addresses the residual process emissions that no other lever can reach. Each is necessary. None is sufficient alone. The industry’s task is to advance all of them simultaneously, at a pace that matches the scale of the challenge.
The plants that will build tomorrow’s highways, airports and homes will need to do so with a fraction of today’s carbon footprint.

Innovations in cement and concrete

Carbon mineralisation in concrete: A 2026 peer-reviewed study in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society by MIT’s Masic Lab and CarbonCure Technologies used in-situ Raman microspectroscopy to show that CO2 injected during cement mixing triggers a three-stage hydration sequence, producing a more uniform microstructure with approximately 13 per cent higher early strength while permanently sequestering carbon within the concrete matrix.

Source: www.carboncure.com

Zero-clinker geopolymer blocks: Theseus Development manufactures geopolymer blocks using upcycled aluminosilicate waste from quarries and mines through an inorganic polymerisation process, achieving up to 80 per cent lower embodied carbon compared to conventional cement blocks. An interlocking block design reduces mortar requirements, lowering construction costs while eliminating clinker entirely from the production process.

Source: www.rmi.org

3D-printed basalt fibre grids: Austrian startup Fiber Elements, founded in 2023, uses robotically wound continuous basalt fibres arranged into three-dimensional reinforcement grids that replace steel in concrete structures. The resulting composites are three times stronger than steel, weigh two-thirds less, resist corrosion entirely and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70 per cent compared to conventional steel-reinforced concrete.

Source: www.eitmanufacturing.eu

Self-healing concrete: Dutch company Basilisk leads commercial deployment of bacteria-based self-healing concrete, with licensed production now active in Japan and a highway viaduct pilot planned for 2026. Dormant Bacillus bacteria embedded in the mix activate upon crack formation, metabolising nutrients to precipitate calcium carbonate that autonomously seals fractures. The global self-healing concrete market is projected to grow significantly through 2031, driven by green building mandates and infrastructure agencies targeting lower maintenance costs and extended structural life.

Sources: www.thelegaljournalontechnology.com and www.mordorintelligence.com