Patio Drummond leads the way in the concrete industry!
Sustainable innovations: The Patio Drummond team is proud to announce the official launch of its VER+CO line of eco-friendly concrete.
The environment is at the heart of EVERY decision and action taken by Patio Drummond. Every day, we make intelligent use of the resources and collective expertise at our disposal to create a future where concrete is no longer a polluting industry. And we'll get there together.
Over 5,000 tons of recycled sand per year
VER+CO's innovations represent a perfect balance between development, sustainability and know-how, enabling us to create environmentally friendly concrete. Our products are no longer just aesthetically pleasing, they embody our commitment to the environment.
A few months ago, we launched carbon-negative concrete products. Today, we're adding a new type of concrete to our range: concrete made from 40% recycled materials - an innovation that will keep over 5,000 tons of foundry residues out of landfills every year!
An initiative that encourages upcycling
We take great care in selecting our materials, whether we're talking about eco-friendly concrete or not. And for VER+CO products, the choice of raw materials is even more intentional.
That's why our concrete products made from 40% recycled materials contain sand recovered directly from local foundries, reducing the cost and environmental impact of transporting our raw materials.
We revalorize foundry sand before it ends up in landfill. It's our way of participating in a circular economy and supporting our community.
A commitment to the environment
Whether through our partnership with CarbiCrete, which enables us to manufacture carbon-negative building blocks, or through Solidel, our sister company and manufacturer of solar-powered lampposts, we make informed choices aligned with our sustainable vision.
Our VER+CO ecological concrete is just the beginning.
At Patio Drummond, we always want to do more.
Find out more about our sustainable innovations.
Towards sustainable concrete: Our ecological commitment in the precast concrete industry
Eco-Friendly Precast Concrete: Our Eco-Responsible Commitment.
In the construction industry, concrete is often criticized for its energy-intensive use of cement powder. At Patio Drummond, we are aware of these environmental challenges and believe in the responsibility to contribute to the education of our partners and clients.
Environmental Transparency: A Clear Objective
The absence of an environmental consumption index in our field motivates us to simplify and make information about our products accessible. Our greenhouse gas emissions, mainly linked to category 4 emissions (indirect emissions generated by raw materials like cement), are at the heart of our reflections.
Concrete Steps for Reduced Environmental Impact
1. Origin or Raw Materials
We favor local partnerships to reduce our carbon footprint, giving preference to suppliers physically close to our factory. This minimizes the necessary transportation of raw materials.
2. Alternative Materials: Recycled Sand
Recycled sand from foundry residues finds a second life with us, contributing to a circular economy. In the production of our charcoal-colored products, we replace natural sand with foundry sand, ensuring the revaluation of foundry sand before it ends up in landfills.
3. Cementitious Additions to Reduce Cement Usage
Integrating cementitious additions into our concrete recipe reduces the consumption of cement powder. These additions are mixed with cement during the grinding process, helping us increase the physical properties of concrete and reduce the amount of cement powder used, creating more environmentally friendly products.
4. Optimization of Concrete Mixes
The optimization of our concrete mixes happens right here at our Drummondville factory, guided by our team. The beauty of precast concrete is that we can have tight control over the materials we use, ensuring that our mixes are efficient, safe, and as environmentally friendly as possible. Our thorough tests allow us to achieve this while respecting (and even exceeding) the standards for the strength and application of concrete products.
5. CarbiCrete Technology - A Carbon-Negative Block
We are the world's first to manufacture cement-free building blocks with CarbiCrete technology, aiming to sustain our commitment to the environment and our planet. Not only does the ECO building block not emit CO2 into the air, but it also captures it. That's why we say it's carbon-negative.
A Quebec innovation, this process reduces the amount of emissions associated with cement production by 2 kg and permanently eliminates 1 kg of CO2 per building block. When we talk about eco-friendly precast concrete, this is the best example!
Next Step: Transparency Index
We are currently working on creating an environmental transparency index. In the coming months, each product will be assessed, providing our customers with a simple way to make informed choices for the environment.
At Patio Drummond, our goal is to make the industry more sustainable and enable our customers to choose the environment by selecting products aligned with their values.
Stay tuned for updates on our eco-responsible journey!
Patio Drummond to Double Production of CarbiCrete Cement-Free Concrete Blocks
CarbiCrete's carbon-negative process for making concrete avoids emissions while removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Montréal, December 14, 2023 - CarbiCrete and hardscape manufacturer Patio Drummond announced today that they are doubling production of cement free, carbon-negative concrete blocks manufactured at Patio Drummond’s plant in Drummondville, Quebec.
CarbiCrete’s carbon-negative process for the production of concrete masonry units (CMUs) replaces cement with steel slag, a steel-making by-product, and cures them with carbon dioxide, avoiding the GHG emissions associated with cement production, while permanently sequestering CO2 within the resulting concrete products. For every 2,000 CarbiCrete blocks produced, a tonne of carbon is permanently removed from the atmosphere, and over three tonnes of emissions are avoided.
“This is a very exciting step in our evolving relationship with Patio Drummond,” says CarbiCrete CEO Chris Stern. “They have been unwavering partners from when we launched our pilot in 2018 through to being the first manufacturer to bring our technology to market.”
“Increased production of our carbon-negative blocks brings us closer to our common goal of decarbonizing production of the world’s most consumed man-made substance.”
”We are excited to be able to bring added capacity to the market,” says Philippe Girardin, co-owner of Patio Drummond. “The more blocks we manufacture, the greener the world gets. It’s a win-win situation.”
Beyond the creation of sustainable building products, the implementation of CarbiCrete’s technology generates carbon credits available to companies looking to offset emissions and meet their carbon reduction targets.
Last week, CarbiCrete announced that it had entered into an agreement with Lafarge Canada, for the processing of steel slag, its alternative concrete binder.
About CarbiCrete
CarbiCrete is a Montreal-based carbon removal technology company whose patented technology enables the production of cement-free, carbon-negative concrete made with industrial by-products and captured carbon dioxide. For every 2,000 CarbiCrete blocks produced, a tonne of carbon is permanently removed from the atmosphere, and over three tonnes of emissions are avoided. CarbiCrete.com
Media Contact:
Patio Drummond
Philippe Girardin
Directeur Innovations
819 394-2505 poste 33
[email protected]
World premiere: a carbon-negative building block
Patio Drummond and CarbriCrete announce that the world's first cement-free, carbon-negative concrete building block is available for purchase
The CEOs of CarbiCrete and Patio Drummond believe this is an important day for the decarbonization of production of the world's most widely consumed artificial substance.
Montreal, September 27, 2023 – CarbiCrete and hardscape manufacturer Patio Drummond announced today that in a global first, consumers can now buy fully-cement free, carbon-negative concrete blocks. The blocks, which are being manufactured at a plant in Drummondville, Quebec can be purchased directly from Patio Drummond.
The announcement was made jointly by CarbiCrete CEO Chris Stern, and Philippe Girardin, co-owner of Patio Drummond, at Quebec’s SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 regional qualifier, a qualifying event for the world’s largest masonry challenge held annually in Las Vegas during the World of Concrete Expo.
CarbiCrete’s carbon-negative process for the production of concrete masonry units (CMUs) replaces cement with steel slag, a steel-making by-product, and cures them with carbon dioxide, avoiding the GHG emissions associated with cement production, while permanently sequestering CO2 within the resulting concrete products. For every tonne of concrete produced using this process, 150 kg of CO2 are abated/removed.
“This is a wonderful day for consumers who are looking for low carbon concrete solutions,” says Stern. “We have been working with Patio Drummond since 2018 when we launched our pilot, and so finally bringing our carbon-negative technology to market is a very exciting step in the evolution of that partnership.”
“I look forward to our continued collaboration as we increase production with the aim of making an even greater contribution to decarbonizing production of the world’s most consumed man-made substance.”
Funding for the pilot and its scale-up to full commercialization was provided in large part by Transition Énergétique Québec’s (TEQ) Technoclimat program, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), and NGen - Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster.
“For over a year, we have been manufacturing tens of thousands of blocks,” says Girardin. “Our tests have proved conclusive, and we are now proud to announce that our CarbiCrete carbon-negative concrete blocks are available on the market.”
“This breakthrough heralds a promising future for Patio Drummond and the concrete industry. We are convinced that CarbiCrete technology combined with our expertise will position us as a leader in the manufacturing of sustainable concrete products that exceed all industry requirements and specifications.”
In May, CarbiCrete signed a cooperation agreement with POINT.P, the main brand of Saint-Gobain Distribution Bâtiment France. The agreement lays the foundation for the production and certification of concrete blocks, made with CarbiCrete technology, at a POINT.P pilot site in France.
In addition to creating construction products that will reduce embodied carbon in the built environment, Stern says that the implementation of CarbiCrete’s fully carbon-negative technology will generate valuable carbon credits that will be available to companies looking to offset emissions and meet their carbon reduction targets.
About CarbiCrete
CarbiCrete is a Montreal-based carbon removal technology company whose patented technology enables the production of cement-free, carbon-negative concrete made with industrial by-products and captured carbon dioxide. For every ton of concrete produced using the CarbiCrete process, 150 kg of CO2 are abated/removed. CarbiCrete.com