Capital Concrete Supplies UK-First Calcined Clay Concrete Application At Brent Cross Town

In a UK first, Brent Cross Town - Related Argent and Barnet Council’s 180-acre new neighbourhood in North London - has become the first residential development to successfully use calcined clay concrete, a product supplied by Capital Concrete.

Capital Concrete’s calcined clay concrete has been used by contractor, Midgard, to construct a permanent suspended slab within Brent Cross Town’s third Build-to-Rent building which will be fully operational in 2028 and comprise over 200 homes.

In total, 30% of the cement in the concrete mix was replaced with calcined clay, resulting in a 10% embodied carbon saving compared with equivalent concrete mixes previously used at the development. 

Calcined clay concrete has been used to construct a permanent
suspended slab at an apartment building in Brent Cross Town.

Capital Concrete supplied concrete made with LKAB Minerals’ calcined clay, which was produced using recycled brick material that would otherwise be discarded during the manufacturing process, an approach which supports the circular economy. Calcined clay concrete has been approved for use under British Standards since 2019, enabling its specification in structural concrete applications.

The Capital Concrete-supplied calcined clay was produced
using recycled brick material that would otherwise be
discarded during the manufacturing process.

Jack Sindhu Technical Director at Capital Concrete said: “As a business, we’re continually exploring and developing material solutions that support customer requirements for a more sustainable built environment. Using lower‑carbon concrete technologies like calcined clay allows us to deliver high-performance materials to customers which actively contributes to a more responsible and future-focussed construction industry.

“We’re proud to be involved in this exciting project and to be collaborating with LKAB Minerals to help advance lower-carbon concrete technologies using calcined clay. This allows us to deliver high-performance materials for our customers which actively contributes to a more responsible and future-focussed construction industry.”

Calcined clay is considered a practical, low-carbon
 alternative to traditional cement replacement.

Over 2,000 people already call Brent Cross Town home following the completion of the first phase of residential buildings last year. The second phase includes the construction of 1,600 new homes including 300 co-living studios through Halcyon,150 retirement living homes delivered by Audley Group and Senior Living Investment Partners and over 660 student apartments by Fusion.

Tim Hoyland, Environment Manager at Related Argent said: “The successful application of calcined clay concrete in permanent works at Brent Cross Town is a significant step forward for sustainable construction in the UK. This material is a practical alternative to traditional cement replacement, enabling the industry to significantly reduce carbon emissions, support job creation and the circular economy.

“We are proud to lead by example and are committed to sharing our experience to encourage wider adoption of calcined clay concrete throughout the sector. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this happen.”