Sustainable concrete innovations Rouwmaat again rewarded with CSC Gold thanks to Monitoring Tool Betonhuis 

On Wednesday, January 10, certification body Kiwa and knowledge center Betonhuis awarded four gold CSC certificates to Rouwmaat.All concrete plants of Rouwmaat are therefore leaders in the sustainable production of concrete in the Achterhoek and Twente.

Demonstrably sustainable concrete

"The concrete sector is becoming increasingly sustainable. The CSC certificate makes sustainability demonstrable and is proof of this for buyers of concrete," said Wilfred Oosterling of Betonhuis. 

Bart Linderman, director Rouwmaat Betoncentrales adds, "We have been making our concrete mortar more sustainable for years, by innovating with alternative binders and circular raw materials. This is how we reduce the environmental impact of our concrete, without compromising on quality. The gold CSC certificate is recognition of 30 years of craftsmanship, of which we are very proud."

Concrete Innovations

Rouwmaat delivers cementless geopolymer concrete in the eastern Netherlands under license from SQAPE. Of the traditional mixture of sand, gravel and cement, the latter is replaced by a less environmentally damaging binder. The binder, a geopolymer, is manufactured from high-quality mineral residues mixed with an activator and unique binding time regulator. "We have gained extensive experience in producing, supplying and processing this cementless concrete. The result can be as high as 80% CO2 reduction (compared to Portland cement), a low MKI score and unique construction properties, such as high acid and salt resistance and low shrinkage," Bart Linderman informs. 

He continues: "We are also committed to using circular raw materials, which we can produce ourselves from concrete rubble from our own regional demolition projects. Increasingly, we are supplying concrete for new construction with concrete granulate made from the former buildings on the same site. In this way, we complete the regional raw materials cycle and reduce the environmental impact of our concrete without sacrificing quality."

Demonstrably sustainable production

 The CSC certificate provides tangible evidence of sustainability and serves as proof for buyers of concrete. Whether national companies or regional players, it is essential to take measures for more sustainable production. For example, the CSC certificate is valued in BREEAM. The Concrete Sustainability Council has defined the requirements and conditions for the CSC certificate in the Sustainable Concrete Manual. This certificate has international status and has four levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Certification is carried out exclusively by independent certifying bodies affiliated with CSC.

Monitoring tool and sustainability report

By using the monitoring tool, Rouwmaat has met requirements M5.01 and M5.02, resulting in obtaining additional points. The company has been included in the CSC Sustainability Report 2022, which will be published soon. Oosterling noted: "Because of tightened criteria in the system, concrete companies that want to maintain their gold status must submit an annual sustainability report. If this fails, companies move down a level." Hilgersom added that the data supplied is very accurate in the systems and that the monitoring of this has been very good.