A road in the province of Overijssel in the Netherlands will be the first to use Reduton, cementless panels of grass concrete, for a hard shoulder, reducing CO2 emissions of the construction with almost 1 million kilograms (2.2 million pounds).

Concrete is a major contributor to the CO2 emissions produced by the construction sector. The main culprit is its ingredient cement, a binder made commonly from limestone that has been heated in a kiln.

The Dutch company SQAPE produces a type of concrete without using cement in the mix. Instead, they use a more environmentally friendly geopolymer binder, made of selected mineral waste materials, alkalis, an activator and patented additives. This leads to a CO2 reduction of 80 per cent compared to Portland cement and a low carbon footprint.

Dutch construction company v.d. Bosch Beton worked with SQAPE to create Reduton, a grass concrete element made with SQAPE’s geopolymer technology. Grass concrete is a type of road construction material containing holes, usually grated, through which grass can grow, creating a green yet hard roadside.

The road in Overijssel, the N34, is being turned into a safe through-traffic road. During this construction, part of the road will be provided with a Reduton hard shoulder, making infrastructure and traffic safety more sustainable. By using these road elements, the CO2 reduction is almost 1 million kilograms compared to normal concrete panels, the same amount as 200 cars produce in one year. This project is the first of its kind to use Reduton.

Images: v.d. Bosch Beton /  Wikimedia (Cliffscherer / Katpatuka)