Supplementary Cementing Materials Program Goal

Natural Resources Canada Backgrounder on the SCMs program

Objectives

The objective of the Supplementary Cementing Materials (SCMs) measure is to increase the use of fly ash, blast-furnace slag, silica fume and other SCMs in concrete by 500,000 tonnes per year (tpy) by 2010. The manufacture of cement is GHG intensive whereas SCMs are industrial byproducts and therefore are not associated with GHG emissions. Increasing the use of SCMs will reduce the "CO₂ signature" of concrete while reducing the landfill burden of these materials that are currently viewed as wastes. The SCMs program aims to reduce emissions from the production of concrete by 0.45 million tonnes per year by 2010.

Strategies

The SCMs program will develop and disseminate educational and informational tools to promote the benefits of SCM use in particular applications and appropriate design, engineering and construction techniques. It will refine current data on the use of SCMs and on their availability and properties. It will help to develop standards and specifications for concrete incorporating SCMs and provide expert advice to industry professionals about the use of SCMs in their projects.

Natural Resources Canada
National Research Council Canada
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Ontario Power Generation
St. Lawrence Cement Inc.
Cement Association of Canada
CIRCA - Association of Canadian Industries Recycling Coal Ash
Canadian Ready Mixed Concrete Association
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Canadian Steel Producers Association
National Slag Association
EcoSmart
Teck Cominco
Industry Canada
Shaw Resources
Langley Concrete and Materials Technology
Masonry Canada