Boral has completed development for what it says is Australia’s first low-carbon concrete incorporating locally sourced calcined clay.
Boral chief executive officer Vik Bansal said the development aligns with the company’s long-term goal of driving decarbonisation across Australia’s built environment.
“Boral is committed to leading the transition to a lower-carbon future, and our calcined clay concrete is a major step forward in our innovation journey and progress towards Net Zero,” Bansal said.
“This work ensures we can continue to offer sustainable solutions for Australia’s building and infrastructure needs and meet our customers’ needs. We are proud to be driving the next generation of low-carbon concrete for the industry.”
Boral completed extensive laboratory testing and large-scale field trials to determine the viability of calcined clay as a supplementary cementitious material. The achievement builds on technical feasibility work begun in 2024, in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney, Transport for NSW, and Calix, as part of a project supported by SmartCrete CRC and funded in part through an Australian Commonwealth Government grant.
Concrete mixes tested include both binary and triple blend formulations, which have been trialled under real-world conditions at Boral’s Maldon cement operations. According to the company, these mixes showed workability and performance comparable to conventional low-carbon concrete, offering confidence for broader adoption.
The field trials followed customer trials where Boral collaborated with Victoria’s Northeast Link and the University of Melbourne to supply a concrete mix for a test slab. The calcined clay concrete test slab used clay recycled from excavated soil from the same site.
Boral head of sustainability and innovation Dr Ali Nezhad said the work demonstrates the technology is more than just a concept.
“From the lab to successful field trials and product development, our work demonstrates that calcined clay concrete is not just a concept; it works at scale. Our field trails confirmed workability and placement and the concrete looks and performs like conventional mixes,” Nezhad said.
“In developing a range of next-generation low carbon concrete products with different blends, we are future-proofing supply and supporting the industry’s decarbonisation goals. We are already receiving pleasing feedback and industry interest to partner with them on trials.
“It’s an exciting time for innovation in construction materials.”
