As construction strives to meet emissions standards, a persistent obstacle is the carbon-intensive process that produces cement. But the emergence of low-carbon solutions to help change the calculus of cement’s creation seems to have hit a tipping point.
In January, the California Dept. of Transportation approved low-carbon alternatives to portland cement for use on its projects. The top replacement, portland-limestone cement (PLC), reduces the amount of carbon emissions as part of its production by about 10%. The new agency standard has brought one of the largest U.S. transportation departments in line with the majority of others across the country, according to the Portland Cement Association.