Economic and industry forecasts indicate a prolonged impact from COVID-19 on the UK economy and more specifically the construction sector. The Construction Product Association forecast a 25% fall during 2020, with certain commentators predicting output in 2021 to be 20% lower than 2019\.

Manufacturers and suppliers within the industry have been forced to restructure operations to reflect anticipated declines in the short and medium-term; with employee reductions and mothballing of facilities. Business survival strategies are being implemented at the same time the industry is challenged to reinvent to address strategic priorities of innovation and net zero carbon. This is illustrated no more vividly than within the precast concrete market.

As Government seeks to expedite the procurement and construction of viable projects, COVID-19 has stimulated a turning point in the private sector's adoption of modern methods of construction. AMA research forecast that the precast concrete sector will grow by 18% to £2.3.bn by 2024, however the sectors ability to accelerate investment in decarbonisation is compromised.

As a cement based product, traditional concrete manufacture is a fuel intensive, electro-intensive and CO2 intensive process, said to be responsible for 4-8% of the world's CO2\. An increased demand for products and market growth, stimulated as a result of COVID, could, without corresponding innovation, represent a threat to the clean growth strategy of the UK.

Concrete is however a unique material in that the specifier has the ability to directly influence its constituent parts to ensure an optimum carbon footprint that meets performance criteria and addresses the design imperatives of resource and energy efficiency within a whole life context, that also address the precepts of a circular economy.

Significant carbon savings can be realised through the design decisions of architects and engineers, in collaboration with precast manufacturers. Material efficient structure can be optimised to minimise carbon, however supply side barriers (e.g. availability and cost of raw materials) and demand side barriers (e.g. restrictions in concrete standards) currently limit their application and diffusion within the marketplace.

Engaging key market actors within the value chain, this project plans to overcome these barriers, to deliver decarbonisation without compromising sector competitiveness. Benchmarked against the performance of an existing public sector portfolio, this project will accelerate the pathway towards net zero, through improved design, product selection and manufacturing and construction processes of precast concrete components.