Material Evolution is launching a pilot project of its ultra-low carbon cement, MevoCem, in partnership with leading building materials solutions company CRH and its UK operating company Tarmac. The pilot will demonstrate MevoCem’s performance under the new BSI Code of Practice Flex 350 which allows for the specification of a wider range of lower carbon concretes to help decarbonise construction projects. It may help provide the data necessary for Flex350 to be incorporated into the broader BS8500 concrete standard – which is equivalent to the EU’s EN206 – making it simpler to deliver projects using the latest low carbon innovations. By using proprietary alkali fusion technology to produce MevoCem, Material Evolution has eliminated the need for heat as part of the cement production process, providing an up to 85% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to traditional cement. The project follows the selection of Material Evolution as a winner in the recent Sustainable Materials Accelerator Program, led by CRH Ventures – the venture capital unit of CRH – which identified innovative materials and applications to lower emissions, reduce waste and improve energy use across the construction sector. Liz Gilligan, CEO and co-founder of Material Evolution, said: “This partnership is a major milestone for our team, and we’re excited to deepen our relationship with CRH and Tarmac as we scale MevoCem at a commercial level. CRH’s commitment as an early adopter of our next-generation ultra-low carbon cement products is especially significant – it supports not just our growth, but the continued research required to deliver a true net zero cement alternative. “Decarbonising the construction industry is one of the most urgent environmental challenges we face. It’s only through partnerships, collaboration, and innovation with industry leaders that we can accelerate the adoption of ultra-low carbon cement across the sector.” Eduardo Gomez, head of CRH Ventures, commented: “Through our accelerator programmes CRH is supporting the delivery of market-ready innovation to our customers across the construction value chain. “Winners gain access to CRH’s extensive network and expertise to drive forward the availability of smarter solutions to support a more resilient built environment.” Josh Bennett, national technical manager for Ready-Mix at Tarmac, commented: “We are looking forward to collaborating with the team at Material Evolution to pilot the next-generation of ultra-low carbon cement products currently under development, and continuing to advance progress in the materials science of low carbon products.” As the biggest producer of low-carbon cement in the UK, Material Evolution’s Mevo A1 Production Facility in Wrexham has the capacity to produce 120,000 tonnes of MevoCem annually, making the company the largest producer of ultra-low carbon cement in the UK. To find out more about Material Evolution, visit: https://materialevolution.com/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Work began in March to demolish St Helen’s Tower, the incumbent building on the site of the planned tallest building in London, One Undershaft. This will be the tallest building to be demolished in the capital to date. Based on details shared in planning documents published by the City of London, Switzerland-based carbon removal specialist neustark calculated a ‘missed’ opportunity to reuse 49,000 tonnes of concrete aggregate removed from the site, and at the same time permanently store at least 490 tonnes of CO₂ in recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), thus permanently removing these residual emissions from the atmosphere and further supporting a circular economy within London’s construction sector – offering a significant opportunity for a permanent carbon sink. The ‘reuse’ and remove (CO₂) opportunity within London’s skyline The clear opportunity to reuse some, if not all, of the 49,000 tonnes of concrete aggregate from the demolition of St Helen’s Tower would allow it to be returned to the same site at One Undershaft, London’s newest ‘tallest building’. According to details published, One Undershaft will require 170,000 tonnes of concrete. Assuming building contractors utilise the full 20% substitution of gravel with RCA allowed by UK standards (BS8500-2) – roughly 14,000 tonnes of carbonated recycled concrete aggregate (cRCA) could be reused at the same site – which would incorporate 140 tonnes of CO₂ to be permanently stored. Under the current UK legislation, limit of 20% aggregate, this would leave a surplus of approximately 35,000 tonnes of RCA (left over from the demolition of St Helen’s Tower) and a further opportunity to sink a further 350 tonnes of CO₂ on other local building projects. Answering the call of London’s circular economy are projects such as 100 Leadenhall Street and 50 Fenchurch Street. Both projects are in pre-construction phase and have been recognised for their respective ‘green’ credentials. These projects have architects, owners, and operators who are likely to welcome the opportunity to reduce embodied carbon, a key metric used by green certification bodies such as RIBA and BREEAM. The sharp reality of the capital’s continuous evolution coupled with City of London’s goal for a greener, more environmentally sustainable Square Mile, means there will never be a shortage of building projects willing to support all avenues of green construction. However, it is legislation holding back construction businesses from reaching the potential for carbon removal and building green supply chains.     UK construction needs supportive ‘green construction’ regulation in line with EU UK standards (BS8500-2), which limit recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) use to 20% in reinforced concrete, significantly constrain greener building solutions. In contrast, countries within the EU and Switzerland are allowed to use 80%+ (depending on use cases) in commercial buildings. A compelling example is the Bellis project near Zürich, a mixed-use residential and commercial development featuring 44 apartments, office and commercial space, and business apartments. Except for prefabricated elements, all concrete structures – including walls, floors, floor slabs, and ceilings – were built using cRCA. In total, 7,500 m³ of concrete incorporating cRCA was used, allowing for approximately 75 tonnes of CO₂ to be stored within the structure. Raising the limits of RCA use in line with the rest of Europe will allow London’s high-profile regeneration projects such as One Undershaft to reuse all of the demolished concrete from the incumbent building, St Helens Tower. Other landmark developments, such as Canary Wharf Group’s Wood Wharf, are already demonstrating this approach in action, where concrete from a decommissioned, 100-year-old quay nearby has been broken down and repurposed for the foundations of new residential buildings. “The UK is one of the leading countries within Europe for its efforts towards decarbonisation. However, within the construction industry, regulation and green standards are lagging behind countries such as Switzerland and Netherlands”, says Valentin Gutknecht, Founder and Co-CEO at neustark. “Updating guidelines, in line with Europe, for the use of recycled concrete for commercial construction will enable London construction firms to utilise existing waste stream, like demolition concrete, as a tool for climate action. Carbonated recycled concrete aggregate will indeed present an opportunity to turn a problem into a solution by taking one of the most essential materials for commercial construction and turning it into a carbon sink.” Building a circular economy for construction within the capital London has been a city of progress since the industrial age. It is therefore inevitable that London’s skyline will continue to evolve. With the scale of these projects expanding, it has become important that London construction firms embrace practices of the circular economy. To meet climate targets, London must invest in more local, greener supply chains and reuse demolition waste within flagship projects such as One Undershaft, Leadenhall Street and Fenchurch Street – building a more circular economy within the construction sector. “Investing in local supply chains and carbonated recycled concrete aggregate is one of the most efficient ways for London to reduce emissions from commercial construction projects. The environmental benefits are clear, and the cost-effective nature of this solution should be a significant factor in its adoption,” says Valentin. Neustark’s partnership with a leading UK supplier of sustainable building solutions established a London site supplying cRCA to firms like Canary Wharf Group for development projects around the city. cRCA is a groundbreaking material that offers a cost-effective and largely untapped solution for significantly removing the UK’s carbon emissions, as well as strengthening the circular economy by using demolished concrete – one of the largest waste streams at 1 billion tonnes per year – as a carbon sink. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

K-BRIQ, made from nearly 100% recycled construction waste, set to transform sustainable building as commercial production begins… Scottish cleantech building materials company Kenoteq has marked a watershed moment for sustainable construction with its revolutionary K-BRIQ, made from construction and demolition waste, achieving certification from the British Board of Agrément (BBA), the UK’s leading construction certification body. As one of the world’s most sustainable low-carbon bricks, the K-BRIQ can now be confidently specified into a wide range of construction projects ranging from facades and feature walls to brick plinths. Kenoteq is beginning commercial production of up to two million bricks annually. This will scale to four million as required, from its first production facility in East Lothian. The company then plans to set up regional production both in the UK and internationally to provide low carbon building products from local waste. The unfired K-BRIQ, made from nearly 100 percent recycled construction and demolition waste, has been certified with the same accreditation as standard clay bricks, yet produces 95% less embodied carbon due to its innovative production process. With no standard testing regime for a non-traditional building material of this type, the K-BRIQ underwent an unprecedented level of rigorous testing over several years. Notably, it received the maximum durability rating possible, which is particularly important for the UK market. As leaders in sustainability, public sector organisations and developers in the City of London are already showing strong interest in the K-BRIQ’s environmental credentials as it can help meet their ambitious climate targets. Educational estates, large scale office buildings and major urban regeneration projects are likely to be among early adopters. This milestone follows additional certification for use in the United States through the prestigious DrJ Technical Evaluation Report (TER), positioning the K-BRIQ as a Scottish innovation preparing to make a global impact. With dual international certification secured, and European certification underway, the company is already fielding enquiries from across the world. The K-BRIQ addresses significant environmental challenges in the construction industry. Today’s staple construction products drain finite resources while the sector is the largest contributor to landfill waste. The UK also relies on an environmentally damaging level of traditional high carbon brick imports. As Europe’s largest market for bricks, the UK uses around 2.5 billion bricks annually. With over 500 million imported and around 50 million of these travelling from outside the EU, the environmental impact is colossal.  Additionally, more than a third of the waste in global landfills is estimated to be of demolition and construction origin. Construction, demolition and excavation waste accounts for approximately 60-65% of total waste generated in the UK, of which approximately 50-60 million tonnes is construction and demolition waste specifically. Tackling this, Kenoteq can create recycled bricks fit for use within 24 hours of the processed waste arriving at its ultra-low energy factory. Sam Chapman, co-founder and executive director of Kenoteq, said: “This certification marks the arrival of a truly transformative building material for the construction and interior design industries. Unlike approaches that simply treat the symptoms of construction’s environmental impact, the K-BRIQ addresses the root cause by directly tackling the waste crisis while delivering a product that performs exactly like traditional materials, including the clay brick. “Securing BBA certification allows our product to be specified with confidence on commercial projects across the UK. We’ve already seen significant interest from leading property developers, architectural firms and public sector bodies committed to reducing the carbon footprint of their construction projects. “The K-BRIQ is not just an environmentally superior alternative to traditional bricks, but a technically robust building material suitable for a wide range of construction applications. With our certification secured, we can now scale up production to meet market requirements while maintaining the exceptional quality and sustainability credentials that set us apart. “The construction industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining high standards of quality and safety. The BBA certification of the K-BRIQ demonstrates that these goals are not mutually exclusive – we can build better while building greener.” The K-BRIQ has achieved 100 tonnes of carbon savings in demonstration projects delivered to date. With 95% less embodied carbon than a traditional brick, the K-BRIQ represents a major advancement in sustainable construction materials at a time when embodied carbon is increasingly recognised as crucial to the whole-life carbon impact of buildings. Embodied carbon can account for over 50% of a building’s total carbon footprint, yet has received less attention than operational carbon in regulations and industry practices. With a standard two-bedroom house in the UK typically requiring around 12,000 bricks, using a standard clay brick creates 5.46 tonnes of CO2e, a more comprehensive measurement than CO2 alone.  Building with the K-BRIQ, in contrast, creates 0.2 tonnes of CO2e.  Katy Roberts, Sales and Marketing Director at the British Board of Agrément, said: “The BBA is proud to play its part in helping clients like Kenoteq bring innovative and sustainable new products into the market. In a sector where safety, performance, and trust are non-negotiable, third-party certification plays a crucial role in enabling innovation. “Independent certification provides a rigorous, evidence-based pathway for new products to gain market acceptance. It reassures stakeholders, supports regulatory compliance, and ultimately helps turn groundbreaking ideas into real-world construction solutions.” With all K-BRIQs now achieving the highest level of durability rating under BBA certification, the  Medero Dark Grey K-BRIQ variant has achieved an A-class fire rating, allowing its use in buildings classed as the highest risk.  The K-BRIQ is available in 12 different colours, produced using recycled pigments, offering architects and developers aesthetic flexibility without compromising on environmental performance. The BBA certification enables the K-BRIQ to be used in a wide range of building applications, satisfying insurance, warranty, mortgage and third-party liability requirements, which have previously been barriers to the widespread adoption of innovative construction materials. Early adopter projects across the UK and Europe have already showcased the aesthetic and technical capabilities of the K-BRIQ including walling and installations at Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre at BE-ST (Built Environment Smarter