Using calcined clay in construction

Calcined clay has been used for nearly 100 years, including in the foundation of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is compatible with existing UK standards, including BS EN 197 and BS 8500, when correctly specified, supplied and tested - yet it is still not widely used in UK construction. This guidance identifies a supply-demand deadlock sa the main barrier: suppliers are reluctant to invest without clear demand, and project teams are reluctant to specify a material whose supply and delivery routes are not yet established. 

This guide is designed to break that cycle, enabling calcined clay to be used on projects today. Rather than adding to the technical evidence base, it sets out the practical steps each part of the value chain can take now. 

The guidance has been led and published by The Useful Simple Trust and is endorsed by leading organisations across the UK concrete and construction sector that are helping to drive the transition to lower-carbon materials, including the Concrete Society, ConcreteZero (Climate Group), the UK Lower Carbon Concrete Group (UK LCCG), and the MPA the Concrete Centre.