Materials · 22 Jul 2026 · 7 min read

Sustainable concrete alternatives

A review of emerging low-carbon materials that maintain structural integrity.

Concrete is responsible for a large share of construction emissions, most of it in the cement. The alternatives we have tested this year fall into two groups: mixes that replace some of the cement with slag or calcined clay, and geopolymer binders that replace it entirely.

The first group is ready for most of our work today and costs little more. The second is promising but still needs a supply chain, and we are honest with clients about that difference rather than specifying something nobody can pour.