Low-carbon development is becoming the underlying trend of Chinese economy. On October 26th, 2021，the State Council issued Action Plan for Carbon Dioxide Peaking Before 2030 (hereinafter referred to as “the Action Plan”). In the chapter "Promoting the carbon peak of building materials industry" of the Action Plan, it is clearly pointed out that "strengthening the research and development and application of new-type cementitious materials, low-carbon concrete, wood and bamboo building materials and other low-carbon building materials". The concept of "low-carbon concrete" first appeared in the blockbuster document issued by the State Council. This means that "low-carbon concrete" will become an important engine and promoter of building materials industry in the historic process of national "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals” promotion, bearing and embodying the expectation and hope of low-carbon development of the whole industry.

Recently, China Concrete and Cement- based Products Association (CCPA) organized experts, scholars, entrepreneurs and people of insight in the industry to conduct extensive and in-depth discussions around "low-carbon concrete". This is a series of talks of learning from each other and inspiring each other without seeking perfection and beauty. Let's brainstorm together in the discussion and build consensus in the communication. When everyone adds a brick of wisdom, the grand mansion of "low-carbon concrete" will surely rise.

Please look at expert’s understanding and thinking about "low-carbon concrete". 

Zhang Yan, Vice President of CCPA, Chairman of Eco-concrete Branch of CCPA, 

Executive President of Jianhua Construction Materials Group

Zhang Yan: Accelerate the development of "low-carbon concrete" and promote the realization of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals in cement products industry.

What is "low carbon concrete"?

"Low-carbon concrete" should be considered according to whether it can play the role of "carbon reduction" in the whole life cycle of engineering construction. China's large-scale engineering construction will continue for a long time, and a lot of reinforced concrete materials will be consumed in the process. The construction way and reinforced concrete type are the key factors directly related to whether the building materials industry can achieve "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals" on time.

Precast concrete products are produced by automated production line, which greatly improves the efficiency and reduces the energy consumption. The industrial production mode can give full play to the performance of raw materials, and make the raw materials such as cement and aggregate be refined and intensively utilized. The construction mode has changed from traditional manual operation to assembly and mechanization without site formwork support, which saves wood, avoids site maintenance, greatly improves the construction speed and saves the construction period.

Precast concrete products can also directly or indirectly play the role of "carbon reduction" in terms of function. Precast concrete products have good functions of waste utilization and emission reduction. In the process of producing, adding solid waste powder modified composite admixture can replace cement by more than 30%. At the same time, solid wastes such as tailing sand, nickel ore sand, slag, municipal sludge, construction waste, etc. become excellent concrete raw materials through rational utilization or secondary processing, which significantly reduces the carbon emission of precast concrete products and provides an important way for large-scale consumption of industrial solid wastes.

Precast concrete products show good material-saving, energy-saving and low-carbon characteristics in the product itself and the whole life cycle of engineering construction, which accords with the definition and connotation of "low-carbon concrete" and stands an important manifestation of "low-carbon concrete".

Similarly, during the 13th Five-Year Plan and the 14th Five-Year Plan, as well as various policies and regulations promulgated by the central and local governments, it is clear that precast concrete is used instead of cast-in-place and industrial construction instead of traditional manual operation, which also fully prove that precast concrete and prefabricated construction are future-oriented, low-carbon and environment-friendly construction methods, which are scientific and advanced, and conform to the sustainable and high-quality development goals.

How to Accelerate the Development of "Low-carbon Concrete"

Suggestions can be made to promote the development and application of "low-carbon concrete" from the following aspects:

1. Increase policy guidance, strive to increase the application proportion of prefabricated buildings, and expand the application range of precast concrete piles and precast elements in various fields of engineering construction;

2. Continuously improve various performances of precast elements, develop high-performance precast concrete products suitable for various projects and various service conditions, effectively integrate concrete products with ecological environment function improvement, and give full play to the "low-carbon" functional attributes of precast concrete products;

3. Reduce the energy consumption in the production of precast concrete products, eliminate backward production capacity, increase the use ratio of clean energy, and reduce the power consumption and coal consumption through equipment improvement and upgrading;

4. Increase the use ratio of industrial solid waste in precast concrete products, and strengthen the recycling of waste in the production process of products.