Australian construction materials company Boral Limited has achieved a significant milestone in sustainable concrete innovation, successfully completing product development of an Australian-first low-carbon concrete incorporating locally sourced calcined clay as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM).

Announced in February 2026, the development follows extensive laboratory testing and large-scale field trials demonstrating the potential of manufactured pozzolans to reduce reliance on traditional Portland cement while maintaining the performance characteristics required for concrete construction and infrastructure applications.

The achievement builds on several years of research and collaboration, including technical feasibility work commenced in 2024 in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Transport for NSW and Australian environmental technology company Calix. The project was supported by SmartCrete CRC, with funding contributions from industry partners and the Australian Government.

As part of the development program, Boral investigated binary and ternary concrete blends incorporating calcined clay, with large-scale trials undertaken at the company's cement operations in Maldon, New South Wales. The trials demonstrated satisfactory workability, placement characteristics and performance comparable to conventional low-carbon concrete mixes.

Further testing was conducted in collaboration with Victoria's North East Link project and the University of Melbourne, where Boral supplied a calcined clay concrete mix for a trial slab. Notably, the clay used in the concrete was recovered from excavated material at the project site, highlighting opportunities to incorporate locally sourced and recycled materials into lower-carbon construction products.

The development also demonstrates the potential of calcined clay to diversify Australia's supply of supplementary cementitious materials. With traditional SCMs such as fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag facing potential long-term supply constraints, manufactured pozzolans offer an alternative pathway for reducing the carbon intensity of concrete production.

Boral's Head of Sustainability and Innovation, Dr Ali Nezhad, highlighted the importance of successfully transitioning the material from laboratory research into practical field applications, with the trials confirming that calcined clay concrete could be produced, placed and perform comparably to conventional mixes.

The milestone represents an important advancement for Australia's emerging manufactured pozzolan industry, demonstrating the technical viability of calcined clay as a cement replacement material and its potential to support the construction sector's transition towards lower-carbon building materials.

As research, manufacturing capabilities and industry adoption continue to develop, innovations such as Boral's calcined clay concrete are expected to play an increasingly important role in expanding Australia's domestic SCM supply and supporting more sustainable infrastructure development.

Source: Boral Limited - Boral Completes Product Development of Australian-First Low-Carbon Calcined Clay Concrete