The most environmentally friendly
Swiss concrete and more
With neustark® to the most climate-friendly Swiss concrete
The revolutionary climate-friendly building material is a development of the ETH spin-off neustark. neustark has developed an efficient solution that irreversibly stores carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere in recycled building materials. The raw material treated in this way can be returned to the cycle and used for the production of climate-friendly structural concretes and RC gravel mixtures. KIBAG markets this sustainable concrete under the KIBECO brand.
Advantages of KIBECO concrete at a glance:
- For every cubic metre of recycled concrete produced, more than 10 kg of CO2 is stored in the long term and rendered harmless.
- The CO2 is permanently bound in crystalline form in the concrete and can be recycled or further treated in the next generation without risking CO2 excretion.
- The building material treated with the neustark process is ready for the market and can be delivered immediately to the construction sites.
KIBECO® for your construction project
The various KIBECO concrete products can be used in a variety of ways:
- 1 Exterior wall C301C02
- 2 Forecourt RC Gravel Mixture B
- 3 Internal wall A101C02
- 4 Ceiling B201CO2 & C301CO2
- 5 For floor slabs and walls with waterproofing concept B231CO2
FAQ
Do you have any questions about KIBECO concrete? Perhaps you will already find the right answer in our FAQ.
KIBECO building materials (RC concrete and RC gravel mixtures) consist of 100% recycled Swiss aggregates, permanently bound carbon dioxide and cement produced in accordance with SN EN 197-1. The KIBECO building materials treated with the neustark process meet all standard-relevant quality criteria such as compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and durability. In terms of processability and color, KIBECO building materials do not differ from the usual RC building materials. KIBECO building materials store CO2 permanently and sustainably and can also be recycled or further treated in the next generation without risking CO2 elimination.
The revolutionary, climate-friendly KIBECO concrete is a development of the ETH spin-off neustark. neustark has developed an efficient solution to irreversibly store carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere in recycled building materials. The raw material treated in this way can be returned to the cycle and used together with sustainable cement (Susteno 4, CEMII/B-LL) for the production of climate-friendly structural concretes and RC gravel mixtures. KIBAG offers the most sustainable Swiss concrete under the KIBECO brand.
Concrete granules obtained from the demolition of buildings are treated with carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere. Through the so-called mineralization, the CO2 is permanently bound in crystalline form. The concrete granulate treated in this way is added to the fresh concrete as a gravel substitute.
With the neustark process, around 10 kg of climate-damaging CO2 per cubic meter of fresh concrete can already be permanently stored. Together with neustark, we are working on increasing this figure tenfold by 2025.
An average single-family house consumes approximately 300 m3 of fresh concrete. If the house is built with a KIBECO building material and delivered with a KIBECO electric mixer truck, 3 tons of CO2 can currently be permanently removed from the atmosphere. This corresponds to a distance of around 15,000 km with a mid-range petrol engine!
In general, the CO2 used industrially in Switzerland comes from abroad. We do it differently. We obtain 100% of our CO2 from the Swiss atmosphere. The CO2 is extracted from the atmosphere by a biogenic process at the WWTP Region Bern in Herrenschwanden. The CO2 is then delivered to our production site in a climate-neutral manner by biogas-powered trucks.
When a concrete wall is exposed to air, the carbon dioxide [CO2] reacts with the calcium compounds in the cement phases [Ca(OH)2] to form calcite crystals [calcium carbonate, CaCO3]. Thus, CO2 is permanently bound (mineralized) in the crystals. This naturally occurring reaction, also known as "natural mineralization" or "carbonation", is well-known in the construction industry and is accelerated and multiplied in the process developed by neustark.
The CO2 uptake of around 10 kg per ton of concrete granulate is measured and documented in the method developed by neustark using both a CO2 flow measurement and a scale, whereby the two independent measurement methods reliably lead to the same measurement result.
No. The reinforcement rusts in installed concrete because the concrete becomes more acidic during natural mineralization, which reduces the pH value. Carbonation by the neustark process takes place before the granules are mixed with cement and water. The pH value thus remains the same as for non-mineralized concrete.
A natural process
The main component of cement is calcium oxide [CaO]. It is extracted from limestone, which essentially consists of calcite crystals [calcium carbonate, CaCO3]. The limestone is fired in the cement plant at around 1,400°C, which releasesCO2 : the calcium oxide [CaO] remains and is further processed into cement products. The cement is then mixed with water, gravel and sand to form concrete.
CaCO3 --> CaO + CO2
Now, when a concrete wall is exposed to air, the carbon dioxide gas [CO2] from the air naturally reacts with the calcium compounds in the cement phase [CaO]. Calcite crystals [calcium carbonate, CaCO3] form in the fine pores and cracks, which can permanently bind CO2 . So the natural reversal of the above reaction occurs.
CaO + CO2 --> CaCO3
However, this is a slow process. During the lifetime of a building, only the few millimeters on the surface of the concrete surfaces are carbonated.
PermanentCO2 sequestration
Through the formation of the crystals (mineralization), CO2 is permanently bound. This naturally occurring reaction is known in the construction industry as carbonation and is accelerated and multiplied in concrete granules in the process developed by Neustark.
KIBECO building materials are therefore permanent and sustainable CO 2 storage materials and can also be recycled or further treated in the next generation without risking CO2 elimination.
No increased risk of corrosion of the reinforcement
Carbonation by the Neustark process takes place before the concrete granules are mixed with cement and water. The pH value thus remains the same as that of non-mineralized concrete. Thus, the risk of corrosion remains the same as with conventional concrete.
Latest references
Greencity
The pioneering Greencity district is currently being built on the site of the former Sihl-Manegg industrial wasteland in Zurich South. A diverse area with a clear focus on sustainability is being developed on an area of around eight hectares.
KIBECO supplied 11,800 m³ of KIBECO concrete fumigated with CO₂ for the current construction phases. KIBECO concrete permanently stores ten kilograms of CO₂ per cubic meter. With a quantity of 11,800 m³ of concrete, this corresponds to a stored quantity of 118 tons of CO₂. This CO₂ was permanently removed from the atmosphere and stored in the recycled building material. By way of comparison, it would take around 9,440 mature beech trees to store the same amount of CO₂.
At the same time, the concrete meets all the high quality and performance requirements.
New construction of second medical service center Zeughaus
The 12
The property, with its exceptional location directly by the Bellevue, is being completely renovated for the first time since its construction in 1973 on behalf of Halter AG.
The commercial building "The 12" comprises 5,000 m2 of space spread over seven floors and is scheduled for completion in April 2024.
Sustainability is also to be taken into account, with KIBECO supporting this project with around 500 m3 of our environmentally friendly concrete.
We would like to thank everyone involved!
KIBECO Concrete in the media
from 06.07.2023
from 30.11.2021