Holcim-subsidiary Paebbl and Dutch builder Heijmans have installed a 7m-long pedestrian bridge in Rosmalen, the Netherlands, which the team describes as the world’s first bridge built with CO₂-neutral concrete.
30% of the project’s cement was replaced with Paebbl’s carbon-storing material in a concrete mix made 75% from what Paebbl calls “circular raw materials”.
Recycled aggregates did away with the need for primary sand or gravel.
Biochar in the mix means the bridge deck has permanently sequestered 66kg of CO₂.
Speaking to GCR, Paebbl’s vice-president of products, Ana Luisa Vaz, said it would be difficult to replace more than 30% of traditional cement while meeting structural requirements.
But she noted that the base cement used is one of the lowest-carbon cements commercially available.
She said the bridge “demonstrates that carbon-storing materials aren’t just viable for decorative or non-structural uses, they’re ready for real infrastructure.”
It took multiple iterations to reach an optimal mix for the bridge. The team is monitoring it to confirm its structural integrity.
Vaz said the product can be made on an industrial scale, with demo and pilot plants already operational. Work on a first-of-its-kind commercial facility is underway.
The company is also planning to expand its range of carbon-storing materials.
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