CEMEX has welcomed the introduction of the newly revised standard for concrete, BS 8500, with a two-day CEMEX UK ReadyMix Commercial Conference for key stakeholders across the CEMEX UK operation. 

The introduction of the new standard represents a significant advancement for the UK construction industry, to provide even greater options for concrete and cement manufacture, in the critical area of reducing the embodied carbon.  

Richard Boult, commercial technical manager for cement, CEMEX UK, said: “BS 8500 has been long awaited and will be transformational for the industry, increasing the options of specifying lower-carbon concretes.  In simple terms, this means that CEMII/A-L and GGBS can be combined in a wider range of exposure classes. Our timely annual ReadyMix Commercial Conference this week has prepared us to support our customers with the changes as they hit the market. For CEMEX, we now have even greater opportunity to increase availability, selection and choice across the entire CEMEX portfolio, without compromising on performance.”   

Lex Russell, managing rirector, CEMEX UK Materials and chair of the Mineral Products Association, added,“As the first UK company to introduce net-zero CO2 concrete in 2020, we have the ongoing responsibility to deliver lower carbon products at scale. The incoming changes to BS 8500 are welcomed by all at CEMEX as it underpins our ambitious global goal for Vertua lower-carbon cement and concrete products to reach half of all cement and concrete sales by 2025. The amended concrete standard will serve to keep us on track with our decarbonisation goals, with the primary objective to become a net-zero CO2 company by 2050."  

For specifiers of concrete and cement products, BS 8500 will now allow the specification of combination/ternary cements, broadening the spectrum of available low-carbon mixes for designers, contractors and manufacturers across the UK construction industry.

In addition, Ian Riley, CEO of the World Cement Association, said: “It is good to see BSI making this change to concrete standards, however, this is still a very modest step forward. Firstly, ground limestone has been used successfully as a cement component in many markets for decades, so this is not breaking new ground but catching up. Secondly, in order to produce concrete with the lowest embodied carbon and the highest circularity we need to move away from standards that require particular recipes to standards that require specific performance.”