Holcim supplies landmark Croatian tunnel

Holcim has supplied more than 120,000m³ of its ECOPact low-carbon concrete to a tunnel project in Croatia, reducing the project’s CO₂ emissions by 30 per cent. In addition, material from the excavation of the tunnel was used in the manufacture of the concrete, saving over 200,000t of virgin aggregates.

The Istrian Y Motorway is a landmark project in Croatia, which relies heavily on its tourism industry. The current phase of the Istrian Y Motorway involves converting the remaining part of the current Y Expressway into a motorway and constructing the second pipe of the Učka Tunnel, which will connect the two major cities of Pula and Rijeka by a full-width motorway.

Holcim was approached to find an integrated solution that would lower the project’s carbon footprint, close the material loop and improve the tunnel’s drainage during times of heavy rainfall. Not only is the use of ECOPact reducing the project’s carbon footprint, there is also no compromise in performance. By placing a mobile ready-mixed concrete plant onsite, Holcim is not only driving the circular construction by reusing the excavated material but also by reducing the environmental impact from transporting minerals from a quarry.

Finally, Hydromedia permeable concrete was selected to build the drainage channel. Hydromedia is a water management system that enables the ultra-rapid evacuation of water directly into the soil, reducing the risk of floods and puddles while producing a natural aquifer recharge, according to Holcim.