LafargeHolcim rebrands blended cements, calls for A/E/C carbon action

Sources: LafargeHolcim, Chicago; CP staff

Responding to demand for construction materials performance and sustainability, market leader LafargeHolcim has rebranded its U.S. blended cement and supplementary cementitious materials portfolio as Envirocore Series—led by OneCem Portland Limestone, MaxCem Blended and NewCem Slag Cements. Concurrently, it calls on architectural, engineering and construction (A/E/C) interests, along with their concrete suppliers, to adopt more sustainable products.  

“Concrete is the most widely-consumed material after water, so we consider it our responsibility to do everything we can to lower the carbon footprint of the cement we produce,” says Senior Vice President of Sales, US Cement Patrick Cleary. “Our organization has invested heavily in offering blended cements and SCM to customers for two decades. This rebrand signifies that the time for change in the building industry is now.” 

While the industry considers how to lower its carbon footprint with new technologies, he adds, A/E/C professionals and concrete producers should look to finely-ground limestone and blended cements as proven, yet somewhat underutilized. “The industry is still in the early stages of embracing these solutions in the United States. We want to help accelerate adoption,” Cleary affirms. “We’re committed to optimizing [concrete] performance and answering the call for a zero-carbon future.”  

The Envirocore Series product with broadest potential is OneCem, a portland-limestone blend of which Holcim (US) plants have shipped more than 3 million metric tons. “We designed [it] to perform the same or better than standard portland cement so it can be used as a replacement. OneCem can also be used with SCM, such as slag and fly ash, to further enhance performance and improve sustainability,” notes LafargeHolcim US Cement Director of Quality and Product Performance David Diedrick. 

OneCem meets the requirements of ASTM C 595/AASHTO M 240, Standard Specification for Blended Hydraulic Cements, where finely ground limestone content can range from 5 percent to 15 percent. Whether realized through portland-limestone blends or SCM, reduction of finished concrete’s clinker factor—i.e. pure portland cement binder, measured in one-ton increments—represents a carbon dioxide emissions reduction of approximately 0.8 tons.

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