Lafarge Canada, Aecon and CarbiCrete recently announced the completion of a project that uses cement-free concrete masonry units, or CMUs.

Representatives from the three companies were on hand to cut the ribbon at Aecon’s Innovation and Training Centre in Holland Landing, north of Toronto.

The building is the first to be built using CarbiCrete’s CMUs and low-carbon concrete from Lafarge Canada.

Aecon will use the building as a tool-storage facility for trainees working at the facility.

According to an environmental product declaration published by CarbiCrete, the decarbonized CMUs boast a global warming potential (or carbon footprint) that is 20 times lower than the industry average.

CarbiCrete manufactures its CMUs using a by-product from steel-making to replace cement in the concrete mix. Doing so not only reduces emissions but also permanently stores carbon dioxide.

“The use of low-carbon concrete represents the single greatest opportunity to reduce embodied carbon in the built environment,” said CarbiCrete CROJacob Homiller. “We’re pleased to be collaborating with the innovative teams at Aecon and Lafarge Canada to decarbonize the construction sector.”

The firm says Aecon’s project provides a valuable use case for innovative low-carbon construction solutions like the cement-free products and low-carbon concrete.

“We are excited to collaborate with Lafarge and CarbiCrete in testing low-carbon concrete and cement-free concrete blocks, taking an important step toward advancing sustainability in the construction industry,” said Prabh K. Banga, Vice President, Sustainability, Aecon. “By combining our expertise, we are not only pushing the boundaries of innovation but also addressing the pressing challenges of carbon emissions in the built environment."

The companies say the project sets a new industry standard in the use of low-carbon construction products to advance sustainable practices.