The UK's claimed first cement-free ultra-low carbon concrete block is now available to customers. Greenbloc is said to promise up to 73% CO₂ savings compared to traditional concrete blocks.
CCP, part of SigmaRoc, is behind the innovative product. The company says Greenbloc is an ultra-low carbon alternative to traditional cement-based concrete blocks. The product aims to help reduce the construction industry’s dependency upon cement – the world’s third-highest source of human-made CO₂ and a key ingredient in concrete manufacturing.
Greenbloc is a high-density load-bearing concrete block made from class 1 aggregates and Cemfree – a cement-free alternative to conventional concrete.
Manufactured to BS EN 771 – 3: (2011) and complying with Part E of the Building Regulations for Walls and Floors, Greenbloc is manufactured, stored, and placed in the same way as conventional concrete blocks. With no compromise on strength compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) blocks, it is suitable for all applications, including foundations, load-bearing walls, internal leaves of cavity walls and partition walls.
Michael Roddy, managing director at CCP, said: “Greenbloc is a game-changer for the construction industry. Up until now, sustainability has all-too-often been focused on operating carbon emissions post-build, rather than the carbon generated during the build schedule and in the manufacture of building materials. Greenbloc is an important step in the greening of both construction projects and the wider supply chain, as it has the capability to reduce CO₂ by up to 73% on a project compared to OPC. In short, the only difference to OPC is that Greenbloc has the ability to dramatically reduce CO₂.”
Concrete has long been regarded as a key building material despite its manufacturing process being one of the world’s largest emitters of CO₂. CCP’s own figures suggest that OPC accounts for almost 3.7 tonnes of CO₂ for an average three-bedroom house. In comparison, Greenbloc is said to account for just 981kg of CO₂ for the same house, achieved by saving 1kg of CO₂ per block and adding up to a total saving of 2.7 tonnes of CO₂ per house. Data from the National Energy Foundations suggests that switching to Greenbloc is the equivalent of offsetting the electricity emissions on an average three-bedroom house for an entire year.
Roddy continues: “As a building material, cement cannot be matched; however, it remains the source of about 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Greenbloc offers the construction industry a clear path to a more sustainable future, decreasing the carbon footprint of one of its core building products and the projects it is used in.”
