Committed to Your Success: CarbonCure’s Technical Services & Support Program

At CarbonCure, we understand that integrating a new technology into any new business can be stressful, especially when it impacts a process that’s become the status quo.

That’s why we have developed the CarbonCure Technical Services and Support (TSS) program, where TSS representatives work hands-on with quality control teams—in person and remotely—to adjust their concrete mixes according to their unique specifications, and ensure implementation of the technology is smooth and rewarding.

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Even before the CarbonCure Technology is installed CarbonCure’s TSS team is already working directly with the plant’s quality control team. Historical data is collected and reviewed by both parties, and eventually the top mixes are picked for CO₂ optimization.

During installation of the CarbonCure equipment, the TSS team and the quality control team work together to determine the optimal CO₂ dosage to add to the agreed-upon mixes. This entails testing several doses of CO₂ within the mix designs in order to evaluate the mixes’ response to the increasing doses of CO₂. 

Dosage Selection

Doses are determined by weight of cement and are calculated using CarbonCure’s Dosing Calculator. The winning dosage is the one that achieves the maximum strength increase for that particular mix, so as to enable the maximum reduction of cementitious material.

The TSS team assists with on-site testing as required, then reports on the testing results provided by the producers, evaluating the mix’s performance with the added CO₂. This leads to the selection of the optimized CO₂ dosage to be used for all mixes, which is on average, 0.6 kg CO₂ per cubic metre of concrete (1 lb CO₂ per cubic yard).

It is important to note when CO₂ is added to concrete as it's mixing, the CO₂ chemically converts into a mineral (calcium carbonate). This mineralization process is responsible for an increase of the concrete’s compressive strength.

Mix Adjustment

Based on the testing and data analysis done by the quality control team, the TSS team recommends the optimal CO₂ dosage for the mixes that will be undergoing the adjustment phase (via cementitious reduction).

Step one of the mix adjustment phase involves testing and assessment of the concrete’s performance with a conservative cementitious reduction and the optimal dose of CO₂ at standard test ages. Then the results are compared with the plant’s historical field averages.

Step two of the mix adjustment phase involves analysis of data from phase one, and assessment of opportunities for additional cementitious reduction in mixes.

Throughout the mix adjustment phase, the TSS team prepares reports for both teams to review, and together they collaborate on plans to expand CarbonCure into more mixes. The goal is to derive the maximum value possible from CarbonCure while maintaining a high-standard of quality for concrete.

Mix Adjustment Testing Results

Mix Design Submittals

In addition to helping quality control teams roll CarbonCure out into performance-based mixes, the TSS team also helps support customers through the process of developing submittals for commercial projects. 

The TSS department has helpful resources on hand to help make this process easier for concrete producers, such as providing product data sheets and supporting quality control staff with boots-on-the-ground help throughout the data collection process for mix design submittals.

Carbon Savings

Since cement is the ingredient that gives concrete its strength, the strength gains achieved by the added CO₂ enables the reduction of cement content in mix design without sacrificing strength.View Durability White Paper

The majority of the carbon emissions savings, then, come from the reduction of the cement content in each mix design, as concrete’s carbon footprint stems from the environmental impact that comes from producing cement.

The process of making cement, the key ingredient in concrete that gives it its strength, releases carbon emissions into the atmosphere. For every kilogram or pound of cement produced, approximately one kilogram or pound of CO₂ enters the atmosphere. That’s where CarbonCure’s carbon utilization solution comes in: when using CO₂, less cement is needed in the mix, and direct, substantial carbon savings happen as a result.

On average, CarbonCure producers remove approximately 10-20 kilograms per cubic metre (20-40 lbs per cubic yard) of cement from mixes optimized with CO₂; so in combination with the recycled CO₂ that is injected into the concrete, the average total carbon savings amount to 17 kg CO₂ per cubic metre (25 lbs CO₂ per cubic yard).

Last but not least, the TSS team offers ongoing technical support. And of course, they are always around to share in the successes and milestones CarbonCure producers reach; from their first big residential pour to their first large-scale commercial project with CO₂-mineralized concrete.

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