2023 Materials innovation of the year

Permavent Safeshield Class A2 EPDM window and door seal

Permavent

Safeshield Class A2 EPDM window & door seal has been developed to provide the first class A rated product that is self adhered for use around windows and doors in new build and recladding contracts. Safeshield Class A2 EPDM window & door seal ensures a weather tight, airtight and vapour open seal around the critical point of interface connecting the window and door to the building. Safeshield EPDM has been developed to be flexible allowing the product to move with the building. The ease of installation creating a split liner ensures the exact coverage required on the window and building are consistent and maintained. The class A2 fire rating delivers class leading and significant safety to the buildings and cavity which is currently not available. Our product is the only product that can achieve the fire rating of Class A2. No other product worldwide is available for this application.

Recovery CBGM

Tarmac - Recovery CBGM

Utilising a waste recovery product in a first of its kind application to drive down CO2, eliminate landfill waste and offer financial efficiencies, Tarmac has developed, trialled, and rolled out a new and sustainable material solution across the Concrete Roads Framework (CRF). 100% of all concrete arisings received by Tarmac through National Highway’s CRF are recycled into innovative cementitious products and used back on to the network where it was removed. Through an unwavering ambition to improve sustainability performance, our industry leading technical experts and operational teams collaborated with partners Sisk, National Highways and Aceom to develop a project specific CBGM product saving 35 tonnes of CO2e to date with a further projected 113 tonnes of CO2e on the A12 and setting a template for other framework partners and further schemes including the A14 which will save a further 59 tonnes of CO2e in the near future.

CEVO: Ultra low carbon concrete

Tarmac

In a UK first, Tarmac developed two low carbon concrete mixes for use on the Hexham Flood Alleviation Scheme, a project delivering 600m of flood defence walls, in partnership with the Environment Agency, BAM Nuttall and Arup. More than half of the Environment Agency’s carbon footprint comes from the construction of flood defences. Trials of the new ultra low carbon concrete will now enable future Environment Agency flood defences to be built more sustainably and will also support the delivery of new sustainable concrete products across the wider construction industry. The flood defence project shows the clear sustainability benefits which can be achieved when clients and contractors work in partnership to achieve sustainable solutions. These mixes mark another important step for the UK concrete and cement industry in the journey to net zero.