iCrete Mixes Stronger Concrete With Less Cement

Editor's Note 12/17/15: iCrete appears to have gone out of business since this article was written.

iCrete, based in Beverly Hills, California, has developed a proprietary algorithm for designing concrete mixes that it says can reduce portland cement content by 10%–40% without compromising strength. Cement production is energy-intensive; in a concrete mix with 12% cement, the cement is responsible for 92% of the embodied energy of the mix. In addition, extra cement usually increases early strength gain but can compromise long-term durability and cause other problems. iCrete uses an analytic process to optimize cement content to maintain or increase strength without any special admixtures.