In an industry first, AfriSam has released an environmentally responsible concrete range, Eco Readymix that blends high performance cement with carbon neutral mineral components to achieve excellent cementitious properties.

The carbon footprint of this concrete has been reduced by between 46% and 51% compared to typical industry concrete, depending on the compressive strength. The Eco Readymix brands – Starmix, Foundation Mix and Retainer Mix – are developed to suit the particular construction application.

“As part of our efforts to conserve the environment, AfriSam has perfected the art of producing composite cements using additives as partial replacement for cement,” Victor Bouguenon, marketing manager at AfriSam, says. “Not only does this practice of recycling by-products from other industries minimise harm to our environment, but these additives enhance the performance of cement and offer advantages over ordinary Portland cement.”

The additives include limestone, fly ash - a by-product of coal fired power stations - and ground granulated blast furnace slag from the steel industry. These products behave like pure cements in the presence of cement or lime.

“While pure Portland cement has served industry well for over a century, it has now been superceded by composite cements,” says Bouguenon. “Despite their low carbon footprint, the performance of the Eco Readymix concretes is far superior to concrete made from pure cements. Further, AfriSam is able to produce ultra-high performance Eco Readymix concretes with compressive strengths of above 70 MPa.”

He says AfriSam’s years of research and development in cement products – and in particular its C-Tech technology – give the company’s products a number of distinct advantages over pure cements.

“These include improved workability, reduced heat of hydration, reduced susceptibility to chemical attack, and increased erosion resistance,” he says. “They are also less permeable, so are more corrosion-resistant, and they continue to gain strength over time.”