SCS JV wins funding for cement replacement trial

Along with six other companies working on HS2 London Tunnels, SCS JV has won the funding from Innovate UK to help accelerate the decarbonisation of the UK concrete industry.

SCS JV will use the money to continue developing a replacement for carbon intensive Portland Cement with repurposed London clay. 

The team is working with HS2, technical lead Arup, concrete supplier Tarmac, the University of Leeds and Sika UK along with Expedition Engineering and the Mineral Product Association. By calcinating (heating to activate) London clay that is excavated from the tunnel activities the team is using it as a replacement for Portland cement in concrete for the HS2 permanent works.

Portland cement manufacturing requires large amounts of energy and emits high levels of CO₂. Data from the original trial (REAL Initiative), funded by HS2, has shown that calcined London clay excavated from tunnels and other construction activities could be a viable alternative to cement in concrete.

Results from the preliminary trial were promising. As well as offering considerable carbon reduction figures, tens of millions of pounds could potentially be saved on a project similar in size to HS2. However, more data and research are needed. The funding will help the team scale up production and take the trial to the next level.

Materials engineering manager Apostolos Tsoumelekas said the innovation was sparked by discussion with an expert in Arup who had been researching the applications of calcined clays in concrete.

“Working together with our customer and the supply chain we have been able to help turn this idea into reality,” said Tsoumelekas.

“The clay that is excavated from the HS2 tunnels is essentially a waste product. We have developed a process which calcines the clay and grinds it to a powder transforming it into a useful resource which can then be added to concrete, replacing Portland cement. The results have been impressive and hopefully if it’s scaled up it could really help speed up the adoption of low-carbon concrete for commercial use.”

Innovate UK, the UKs innovation agency, is investing £3.2m in seven innovation projects, including SCS JV, to help decarbonise the UK’s concrete industry.