Real Green Concrete ‘’RGC’’ – A Greener and Pervious alternative to OPC

The scientific challenge is to design materials that are effective in safeguarding against stormwater, whilst being eco-friendly, and cost-effective. Traditionally, concretes based on Ordinary Portland cement (''OPC''), and natural aggregates, have been used in the production of pervious concrete. The problem with such materials is the impact they have on the environment; aggregate is a well-known source of dust during quarrying, and concrete is traditionally made from OPC which is one of the main contributors to CO2 emissions into the atmosphere (approximately 0.6 tonne for each tonne of cement produced).

The development of new technology that will lead to the control of CO2 emissions and reduce the use of natural aggregate, will be the key for the cement industry to provide solutions for climate change mitigation.

Una Developments has already developed technology (Real Green Concrete, "RGC") based on using a variety of raw materials (such as industrial by-products, sourced from industries, including steel manufacturing, power stations, and mining processes) to make an OPC free cement. The majority of these raw materials would otherwise go to landfills.

The high strength, permeability, and porosity of RGC's novel formulation has already been demonstrated in a controlled lab environment. The company has a granted patent and another one pending.

This project focuses on the development of a water-permeable concrete (made from RGC OPC free cement) for absorbing and/or filtering water mainly during runoff, at output efficiency levels greater than conventional methods. Initial studies suggest that RGC is an ideal candidate material for applications where low permeability can cause flooding.

This project will result in the production of an **eco-friendly** **permeable concrete** (~80% less CO2, recycling of raw materials, ~30% less water required, based on industrial waste as an alternative to OPC) and will open up exciting prospects for the development of environmentally safe, cost-effective, and durable construction materials exhibiting superior engineering properties such as strength, porosity, and water resistance.