Laing O'Rourke makes low-carbon concrete mandatory in UK

International engineering and construction firm Laing O’Rourke has announced that low-carbon concrete is now standard on all its UK projects. The new mandate, which applies to all UK projects that begin main construction on or after 1 April 2023, will result in a significant reduction in the company’s scope 3 carbon emissions. According to the company, the overall carbon reduction will be 28 per cent when compared with the company’s concrete usage in 2022, equating to a saving of 14,400t CO₂e.

“Last year, 43 per cent of the concrete products we manufactured for our live projects were low carbon. It’s exciting to think this will rise to 100 per cent this year, and that very soon all our new projects will only use low-carbon concrete,” said Rossella Nicolin, head of sustainability for Europe at Laing O’Rourke. “The expertise of our in-house concrete technologists, the experts who operate our advanced manufacturing facility in Nottinghamshire (the Laing O’Rourke Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction, CEMC), and our supply chain partners, have all contributed to this significant step forward."

Laing O’Rourke’s low-carbon concrete uses lower-carbon alternatives to Portland cement, such as ground granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS) and pulverised fly ash (PFA), both of which have a much lower carbon footprint. The company recognises that this is the first step in a longer journey to decarbonisation. Its ongoing research programme focusses on wider scale deployment of cement-free options, which are ultra-low carbon, and it expects to introduce more of these materials going forward.

“Reducing all carbon emissions is a priority for our business. The built environment makes a significant contribution to global warming and constructors must work with clients and design partners to deploy new technologies and innovations that make modern methods the norm and enable us to build in less carbon intensive ways,” added Cathal O’Rourke, Laing O’Rourke’s chief operating officer.