2025 Award Winners and Nominees
Project Name
From Bottles to Sidewalks, Using Glass SCMs in High-Performance Low-Carbon Concrete Infrastructure Throughout the City of Syracuse
Description
From Bottles to Sidewalks:
In 2024, Riccelli-Northern led the deployment of high-performance, low-carbon concrete leveraging glass supplementary cementitious materials in a massive curb, sidewalk, and street overhaul in the City of Syracuse.
The initiative is one of the first public-private partnerships to deliver next-generation concrete with significant embodied carbon reduction and improved performance with no increase in cost.
The project's defining feature was the use of glass, initially destined for landfills, as a high-performance SCM to replace 20% of cement content while providing substantial resistivity and strength benefits. Glass SCMs have been gaining attention across the country as one of the most effective ways to decarbonize concrete utilizing existing regulations and operating practices.
Bringing New Technology to Traditional Concrete:
The push for low-embodied carbon concrete has primarily focused on architectural, university, and specialty projects. Riccelli-Northern, the leading ready-mix concrete supplier for Central New York, has changed the paradigm by bringing a locally made SCM that leverages the millions of tons of waste glass produced every year to municipal concrete projects. Targeting traditional concrete is a defining aspect of this project, as it is the vast majority of concrete produced and where practical low-embodied carbon solutions are most impactful.
Growing Grassroots Support:
As a grassroots project, local news stations, radio shows, and industry groups have led coverage of the work, with headlines centered on leveraging local waste to reduce concrete's embodied carbon while providing residents with stronger, longer-lasting infrastructure.
The project featured sidewalk upgrades on North McBride Street, Hickory Street, and Union Ave on the Northside of Syracuse. Riccelli-Northern has become a leader in this space, devoting in-house resources to developing their use of glass SCMs and making these innovations in the circular economy accessible to local residents, contractors, and municipalities.
Syracuse tests recycled glass in concrete to boost sustainability and durability:
https://cnycentral.com/news/local/syracuse-new-york-recycled-glass-concrete-cement-sustainability-durability-department-public-works-klaw-industries-riccelli-northern-binghamton
City of Syracuse Tests Lowering the Carbon Footprint of Its Sidewalks:
https://www.syr.gov/News/2024/2024-09-04-Infrastructure-News-345-PM
Evidence
A Local Story:
NRMCA member company Riccelli-Northern led the project and was instrumental in deploying low-embodied-carbon concrete using novel SCMs in the City of Syracuse.
Greg Novitzki from Riccelli-Northern was pivotal in inspiring the project and spearheaded the partnership with the City of Syracuse Department of Public Works, the lead contractor Michael McConnell Concrete, and the glass SCM provider KLAW Industries.
Technical Services Lead Jason Uhlinger completed mix development, field testing, and quality control with concrete batched from the East Syracuse Plant. He led the integration of glass SCMs into Riccelli's Class D mix, achieving outstanding results in the field.
Sales Manager Mark LaLomia played a critical role in getting the project off the ground by working with Michael McConnell Concrete to ensure a smooth transition to the new material while keeping pace with the project's timeline. The crew from McConnell has become prominent supporters of glass SCMs, intending to use glass throughout the 2025 season in municipal and commercial work based on improved workability and decreased water demand.
Improving Resistivity and Air Content:
One of the essential aspects of this project was resistivity and utilizing glass SCMs to improve durability. Located in the Northeast, concrete in the City of Syracuse faces constant exposure to de-icing agents, and developing resilient concrete is a continuous challenge.
Utilizing glass to improve resistivity by over 40% was a core objective for the City, and their assistance in bringing this project to the Northside allowed the work to impact a neighborhood in dire need of repairs.
Additionally, the project faced no issues with air content or wet properties, demonstrating that contaminated sources of glass can be turned into high-performance materials meeting ASTM C1866.
From Curbside Pick-Up to Sidewalks:
Jason's use of glass SCMs lowered the embodied carbon of Riccelli-Northern's concrete by 20% with no switching costs or price increases. The technology has been developed alongside the EPA and has seen significant growth in New York as aging SCM sources dwindle and EPDs become necessary for state-funded work.
The project is a prime example of the circular economy, harnessing waste from residents to improve infrastructure. Curb and sidewalk upgrades are slated to continue into 2025, aiming to utilize the 156,000 tons of waste glass produced in Syracuse every year.
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