Innovative Person or Team

The Lafarge Western Canada Innovation Hub is home to one of Western Canada's most advanced certified concrete laboratories, as well as a team of highly specialized concrete and materials experts.
They are a highly collaborative team that works closely with both internal and external stakeholders, the Innovation Hub Team performs the critical task of developing and transforming new ideas from around the globe into saleable products and services that employ local materials, suit market and project requirements, and meet quality standards.
In addition, they balance work with fun and community as demonstrated by their 2022 Halloween celebration in support of the Edmonton Food Bank.

Accomplishments of the team include:

ECOPact:
Carbon calculation and testing of low carbon concrete to establish a low carbon concrete product range
Product transparency: Using LCA/EPD calculations to rank sustainable products allows for similar comparisons with industry-standard programs
DYNAMax:
Developed product designs for our high performance concrete brand with superior compressive strength (60-120MPa), durability (<750 Coulombs) and rigidity (MOE >40GPa)
Implemented enhanced batching and quality controls requirements to ensure the design properties are achieved in the field
SMARTherm
Specialized heat of hydration modeling for mass concrete pours
Ensures critical values like maximum heat and differentials are not exceeded
Can recalculate simulations based on factors like alternate concrete materials or changes to insulative formwork
SMARTCast:
Relating temperature data to predict in-situ strength for critical activities (post-tensioning, formwork removable, and moving elements).
Monitoring of maximum temperature differentials to ensure within limits
Matching conditions of field cylinders to mass elements to ensure accurate strength gain.
SMARTFlow:
Digital modeling of concrete properties allows for optimal mix-design proportioning, economical concrete pump selection and to ensure pumpability in long distance horizontal and vertical pumping applications
EPD’s:
3rd party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPD’s) were produced define the embodied CO2 in products, allowing customers to make informed decisions on their concrete purchases

Sustainability:
Promote the use of low-carbon GUL cement over the traditional GU cement to reduce carbon footprint, while ensuring that strength and durability criteria are fully met