Although this decision is in part driven by the need to comply with evolving federal and state-mandated climate change legislation, NRMCC has been an early adopter of sustainable practices throughout its facilities — from designed plants with advanced production capabilities to switching much of its delivery fleet to renewable natural gas.

Steve Lode, President of National Ready Mix, says “Making the move to Type 1L cement is not only the right choice, but an extremely effective tool as we move closer to achieving carbon neutrality.”

What is Type 1L Cement and What Benefits to Customers?

Type 1L cement is a blended cement that contains 5% to 15% limestone — meeting the ASTM C595 HS guidelines for high sulfate resistance, as well as matching the strength and sulfate performance outlined in ASTM C150 Standard Specification for Portland Cement, all while substantially reducing embodied carbon in concrete.

According to John Halverson, National’s Director of Technical Services, “Using type 1L cement instead of Type II/V can reduce the embodied carbon in concrete by roughly 10%, making it a more sustainable option.”

Type 1L is manufactured the same way as ordinary II/V cement but the resulting product has a lower global warming potential (GWP). Lode notes, “As NRMCC works collaboratively with architectural and engineering firms to meet sustainability goals and exceed expectations, Type 1L cement is the right choice for us.”

By using Type 1L cement, specifiers, architects, engineers, and designers can execute any structure, paving, or infrastructure project in a more environmentally friendly way. It’s a collaborative effort, but one that will make a huge difference if done early.

Halverson notes, “When using Type 1L cement, you need to design toward certain performance goals. You cannot just take your Type II/V mixes and add Type 1L cement and call it the same thing. It is a different mix with different weights, yields, and properties, and therefore, a different proportion is required to achieve a certain consistency.”

James Little, National’s Technical Sales Manager, adds “Start involving your ready-mixed supplier as early as you can in evaluating the GWP of each mixture and maximize the opportunity to reduce embodied carbon and gain the maximum benefit possible for constructability and sustainability.”

Next Steps with Type 1L Cement

Taking steps toward decarbonization isn’t new to NRMCC. They have a four-pronged approach to sustainability, which includes an ability to stock multiple advanced materials, availability of instant EPDs, transportation using a RNG delivery fleet, and now the use of advanced Type 1L cement to help engineers achieve their low-carbon footprint goals. The company has been working toward net-zero neutrality for several years, and switching to Type 1L cement is just the next logical step for the supplier and for its customers.

As they move toward fully adopting the low-carbon concrete material, NRMCC will focus on collaboration and education, continuous improvement and training, as well as providing the right resources to customers when they need them.