Polski
Carbon-Neutral Concrete and Record-Breaking 3D Printers – What's New in the Industry?
This week in the concrete world highlights two directions the industry is racing toward at breakneck speed: decarbonizing production and automating construction. On one hand, the UK is live-testing concrete that's nearly a third less carbon-intensive on an actual building site; on the other, 3D printers on three continents are setting new records for scale. Let's take a closer look at what's actually happened.
01 · Low Emissions
London Office Building Tests Low-Carbon evoBuild Concrete [1]
At the construction site of an office building at 33-35 Piccadilly in London, developed for The Crown Estate, Heidelberg Materials' evoBuild concrete has been used in the UK for the first time [1]. The secret lies in the cement – it's produced at a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility in Brevik, Norway, which cuts emissions by around 35% compared to standard CEM I cement [1]. This isn't a lab prototype but a real-world delivery: around 3,000 m³ of concrete produced at the King's Cross plant has already been delivered to the site [1]. The project is also aiming high on environmental certification, targeting BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum [1]. It's a good example of how CCS technology is moving beyond a buzzword on slides and starting to genuinely shift the emissions balance of real construction projects.
02 · 3D Printing
3D Concrete Printing Gains Speed – New Height and Scale Records Worldwide [2]
If low-carbon cement answers the question of "how to build cleaner," 3D printing answers the question of "how to build faster." The latest roundup of global 3DCP (3D Concrete Printing) projects shows the technology picking up pace on several fronts at once [2]. In France, the tallest inhabited 3D-printed building to date was completed – standing 14.14 meters tall – with the entire printing process taking just 10 days [2]. In the town of Bezannes, meanwhile, Europe's largest residential building built using this method has gone up [2]. Across the Atlantic, ICON is printing barracks for the US Army at Fort Bliss, showing that printed concrete is moving into military applications and not just showcase single-family homes [2]. Experts cited in the roundup, however, temper the enthusiasm – certification and the logistics of assembling components remain the main barriers keeping the technology from moving beyond isolated flagship projects [2].
Summary
Summary
Two stories, one direction: the concrete industry is looking for ways to build smarter – with lower emissions and greater efficiency. London's evoBuild project shows that low-carbon cement from a CCS facility can already be poured into a real mixer on a real building site, while the 3D printing records prove that automating concrete construction is no longer a curiosity and is starting to solve real problems – from build speed to housing troops. We'll be discussing how these trends translate to the Polish prefabrication and construction market very soon at Concrete Expo – Targi Technologii i Zastosowań Betonu w Przemyśle i Budownictwie. See you there!
Invitation
Low-carbon cement from CCS facilities and buildings erected by 3D printers are no longer visions of the future – they're the reality of today's construction sites. Want to see these technologies live and talk to the people behind them? Visit Concrete Expo – Targi Technologii i Zastosowań Betonu w Przemyśle i Budownictwie and find out how to put them to work on your own projects.
Concrete Expo 2026Footnotes
[1] The Construction Index — https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/heidelberg-supplies-low-carbon-concrete-in-piccadilly[2] Daily Commercial News (ConstructConnect) — https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/technology/2026/09/tracking-3dcps-potential-for-increased-height-and-scale-around-the-world