Heidelberg Materials UK is trialling CarbonCure technology in ready-mixed concrete at its Greenwich plant in London, injecting pure manufactured CO₂ into fresh concrete where it mineralises permanently and allows around 5% less cement to be used. The process is claimed to cut concrete-associated emissions by 7–11 kg CO₂/m³ with no loss of performance, while potentially increasing strength through more efficient hydration. The Thameside plant also supplies calcined clay, evoBuild low carbon GGBS, crushed concrete, accelerators and evoZero near‑zero cement, positioning it as a low‑carbon materials hub.

German materials firm FibreCoat has developed zinc-coated fibres for use in reinforced concrete, claiming cathodic corrosion protection for embedded steel in highly alkaline environments where aluminium rapidly degrades. Dispersed within concrete mixes for marine and coastal structures, the zinc fibres could, subject to testing, extend asset service life by 20–30 years at a fraction of the cost of titanium fibre reinforcement. Chief executive Robert Brüll positions the heavier, less reflective zinc coating as a structural, durability-focused alternative for multi-storey car parks, docks, ports and bridges.

Use of calcined clay concrete on the London Museum project, led by Sir Robert McAlpine with close input from engineers, contractors and materials suppliers, is enabling on-site deployment of a lower-clinker, lower-carbon mix rather than limiting it to precast elements. The team is adapting mix design and placing methods in real time on a live heritage-site build, addressing workability, setting time and strength-gain behaviour under typical UK site conditions. For practitioners, this signals growing confidence in calcined clay binders for mainstream structural applications where conventional CEM I would previously have been specified.