Sujeeva Setunge: The aim is to develop a concrete product which utilises more than 50% fly ash
as replacement of cement without an additional cost and without any additional procedures
or major changes to the actual production process.
Dr Indubhushan Patnaikuni: Fly ash, actually, is a waste material which comes out of the
coal fired power stations.
So here, in this project, we are mainly looking at using the fly ash as replacement cement
replacement in concrete. Cement is a pollutant because when we produce one tonne of cement
the industry emits about one tonne of carbon dioxide.
At the moment, the global cement production is more than three billion tonnes.
That means three billion tonnes of carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere.
Martyn Hook: The really interesting about fly ash is that somebody has discovered that
when you add it into a concrete mix, it actually improves the thermal performance it improves
the ability of the plastic nature of concrete to sit into a form.
The ability for fly ash as a completely recycled waste product that’s been brought into a
brand new material actually, helps in the way in which it improves the performance of
that material.
So effectively, the concrete is better with the fly ash in it rather than it not
being in it.
And I suppose the work that’s being done at RMIT is bound within the kind of chemical
composition and the ways in which this performance might be assessed.
We have solved some of the immediate barriers that were inhibiting the use
of the material widely.
So we have figured out a way of
using unrefined fly ash so that we could produce concrete using
normal production processes with high volumes
of fly ash.
So recently, in Docklands, it was a condition that 20% fly ash is used in concrete.
Fly ash was used in this project because, I guess, it was part of the suite of options
under the Green Building Council rating tool.
The Gauge, in itself, is a commercial office building. It’s the first
building in the country to achieve a 6 Star design: a 6 Star As Built and a 6 Star fit
out 9,000 square metres of commercial
office liveable area and a number of attributes that ...
have helped it get to its 6 Star rating.
And the fly ash, itself, is a waste product and we worked with a number of
different partners within industry to try and
work out how we could actually use it.
Now, with people like Clinton and the C40 Conference recently
we’re beginning to see the way in which both legislators and
big business are embracing the ability for sustainability to not only promote their brand
but begin to, actually
increase the quality of life in
significant cities.
President Bill Clinton: I thank the property developers and the local governments that
are involved in this. Individually, these projects are going to
transform their communities but collectively, they will set a new global
benchmark that can change the world.
Andrew Staedler: There was a lot of myths in the industry that said that building green
cost extra and that you ... to build a green building, you paid a premium.
We were very, very clear about the fact that we
wanted to achieve a 6 Star result at a commercially viable rate
but, I guess, that’s comparing it to, perhaps, a 3 or 4 or 4½ Star building.
The research will benefit the industry, mainly.
Cement is more expensive compared to fly ash so industry, I believe, would be very happy
to use
this product.
I think this collaborative act between
industry, government and the everyday person where the everyday person
makes particular demands of their elected representatives to enforce
the ability for buildings and spaces and cities to grow
in a sustainable manner which goes beyond the kind of
throw away, strap on gimmick and starts to get really down to the
core of how these places are good places to be.