Case study · Moser River, NS · Cement Replacement
CarbonRun Silo Foundation
ΔC was used in the foundation pour for CarbonRun's outdoor silo, reducing embodied carbon by 21% while surpassing target strength in just 3 days.
Mix
5%ΔC-CR
Volume
14.5 m³
GWP reduction
21%
Strength target
35 MPa @ 3 days
CarbonRun outdoor limestone silo foundation, NS · 5%ΔC-CR · 21% GWP reduction
Project overview
alterBiota's ΔC admixture was used in the foundation pour for CarbonRun's outdoor silo in Nova Scotia. The mix was designed using the Cement Replacement (CR) technique, where ΔC enables a reduction in Portland limestone cement content while maintaining the required structural performance.
- Volume placed
- 14.5 m³
- Specified strength
- 35 MPa @ 3 days
- Mix design technique
- CR (Cement Replacement)
- ΔC dose
- 5% biochar by weight of cement
Fresh-state performance
The concrete was batched at the plant and transported approximately 1.5 hours to the job site. Despite the haul time, the mix maintained workable properties and achieved the required slump and air content on site.
GHG reduction analysis
The combination of cement replacement and biochar carbon storage delivered a 21% reduction in total embodied carbon:
- ΔC carbon storage (biochar)
- −46 kg CO₂ e/m³
- Cement reduction
- −21 kg CO₂ e/m³
- Total savings
- −66 kg CO₂ e/m³ (21%)
- Embodied carbon of ΔC mix
- 245 kg CO₂ e/m³
Hardened-state results
The ΔC mix achieved approximately 40 MPa at 3 days, exceeding the 35 MPa target. Strength continued to gain through 56 days. Electrical resistivity (Bulk ER) also showed consistent improvement over time, indicating good durability characteristics, reaching an average of 70 Ω·m at 56 days.
- · Values represent the average of Batch 1 and Batch 2. Standard deviation is calculated from the two batch averages.
| Day | f'c (MPa) | BER (Ω·m) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 40.4 ± 0.9 | 40.5 ± 2.1 |
| 5 | 45.0 ± 3.6 | 47.0 ± 4.2 |
| 7 | 47.2 ± 3.5 | 51.0 ± 5.7 |
| 14 | 51.6 ± 1.1 | 56.5 ± 0.7 |
| 28 | 53.0 ± 2.9 | 63.5 ± 3.5 |
| 56 | 56.3 ± 1.1 | 70.2 ± 7.4 |
Key benefits
- 35 MPa target met in 3 days with 7% less cement, demonstrating ΔC's ability to maintain early-age strength while reducing cement content and decarbonizing concrete
- 21% reduction in embodied carbon, achieved through the combined effect of cement reduction and biochar carbon storage
- Consistent performance across batches confirms reliable, repeatable results
- No operational disruptions, since ΔC was added as a liquid admixture during standard batching with no equipment modifications
- Maintained workability over long haul: the mix remained workable after a 1.5-hour transport, confirming practical job-site compatibility
Values represent the average of Batch 1 and Batch 2. Standard deviation is calculated from the two batch averages.
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