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    American Concrete Institute starts up R&D for Carbon-Neutral Materials

    April 7, 2022
    The NEU-ACI effort announced Baker Concrete Inc. as the center’s first member. Baker is the largest concrete contractor in the U.S.
    Image credit American Concrete Institute
    Concrete 624f083b0cb99

    The American Concrete Institute has launched a new center focused on driving research and adoption of carbon neutral materials for the industry.

    The NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete will be located at the ACI’s headquarters in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The goal is developing paths forward to reduce the carbon footprint of a highly carbon-intensive industry.

    Last week, the Global Cement and Concrete Association announced it is starting Net Zero Accelerators initiative with efforts in Egypt, Thailand, Colombia and India. Those nations together represent about 10 percent of overall cement and concrete production, according to the group.

    The NEU-ACI effort announced Baker Concrete Inc. as the center’s first member. Baker is the largest concrete contractor in the U.S. and specializes in pre-construction, construction and project management services.

    "NEU envisions a concrete industry where all stakeholders have access to technologies and the knowledge needed to effectively and safely produce and place carbon neutral concrete and concrete products," said Andrea Schokker, Executive Director, NEU. "Concrete plays a major role in a sustainable future and collaboration with members worldwide is critical to developing a comprehensive plan to help make the concrete industry carbon neutral by 2050.”

    The ACI has spent the past decade convening its members in a campaign toward sustainability in the industry. The research and advocacy group started in 1904.

    Concrete production is considered more than carbon-intensive than many other construction components. It emits 1 to 2 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to reports.

    It is a composite of gravel or stone, sand, cement and water. 

    About the Author

    Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor | Senior Editor

    For EnergyTech editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

    Rod Walton has spent 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. He formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    Walton earned his Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. His career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

    He was named Managing Editor for Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech starting July 1, 2023

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

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