Canada: CarbiCrete has obtained the first Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its cement-free concrete masonry units (CMUs). The products have specific CO₂ emissions of 11.7kg/m³ for the CMUs, 94% below the industry norm of 200kg/m³. FinancialWire News has reported that CarbiCrete’s recipe for the CMUs replaces cement with steel by-products, while also sequestering CO₂.

Concrete products company Canal Block is set to commence production of CarbiCrete CMUs at its Port Colborne plant in Ontario in early 2025.

UK: Russell Roof Tiles has installed a 165kW solar power plant as part of a €22.2m upgrade to its Burton concrete roof tiles plant in Staffordshire. Energy company Alt-Group supplied the solar power plant, which is equipped with Solis Inverters’ energy storage inverters. The upgraded Burton plant also features wash water recycling.

Russell Roof Tiles has signed a pledge to achieve Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ neutrality by 2040.

US: Ireland-based CRH has acquired California-based aggregates and asphalt producer Dutra Materials. The FT newspaper has reported that the business will join CRH’s Americas Materials Solutions business.

CRH Americas Materials Solutions president Scott Parson said “Following our entry into California earlier this year via the acquisitions of BoDean Company and Northgate Ready Mix, we are excited to expand our presence.”

UK: Civil engineering joint venture Balfour Beatty Vinci has poured 1Mm³ of concrete in its on-going erection of structures for West Midlands sections of the HS2 Birmingham-London railway. Aggregate Industries, Cemex UK and Tarmac all supplied concrete for the works. Aggregate Industries’ concrete features in the Delta Junction interchange between HS2’s lines to Birmingham, London and Interchange Station in Solihull, outside Birmingham. The junction includes 13 viaducts across the valleys of the River Cole and River Tame. Meanwhile, Cemex UK’s concrete features in structures in Birmingham and Staffordshire and Tarmac’s concrete in structures in Birmingham and Warwickshire.

Altogether, HS2 railway structures in the West Midlands will require 1.9Mm3 of concrete, over 50% that of the entire project total, over a 90km stretch. 11 ready-mix batching plants serve the stretch, two of which are semi-battery-powered. Balfour Beatty Vinci and its suppliers have also made use of electric concrete mixer trucks for deliveries. They crossed the 1Mm³ milestone while building the 165m-long, four-track Chattle Hill railway bridge over the A446 road in Delta Junction. The bridge will use 10,200m³ of concrete.