Giatec is a world leader in concrete testing technologies. Recently, the company announced that it is working to reduce cement usage on construction job sites with their artificial intelligence program (AI), Roxi. It is doing this with both funding and support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). SDTC helps Canadian entrepreneurs accelerate the development and deployment of globally competitive clean technology solutions.
Cement is not only the most expensive ingredient in a concrete mix. Additionally, its production is also responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions. In a construction project, ready-mix concrete producers design concrete mixes to meet specific performance criteria to reach strength targets quickly.
However, various external factors including the quality variations in raw materials, ambient conditions, delivery time, pouring processes, job site curing conditions, etc. can affect the performance of concrete. Currently, concrete producers have limited data and visibility into these factors, thus lacking accurate testing and monitoring capabilities. This leads to over designing concrete mixture by adding more cement than necessary to prevent potential performance issues.
How does Giatec technology help
Giatec’s proprietary sensing technology combined with their real-time, predictive AI-based model, Roxi, allows ready-mix producers to adjust the amount of cement needed and meet concrete strength targets more accurately. As a result, this will cut at least 400 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually. This is the equivalent of taking 110 million cars off the road.
“At SDTC, we are committed to advance Canada’s 2050 Net-Zero targets by strengthening support for climate tech entrepreneurs who are driving the green economy forward,” said Leah Lawrence, President & CEO, SDTC.
“We are proud to support firms, like Giatec that are on the cusp of climate tech innovation and delivering substantial solutions to help fight climate change.”
“Based on two case studies, we estimate that up to 20% reduction in cement usage can be achieved using our technology. With this funding, Giatec will provide a solution that will bring not only economic, but also, environmental benefits, by reducing CO2 emission, air pollution, and water use in the construction industry”, says Pouria Ghods, Giatec Co-Founder and CEO.
Roxi was the first AI program created for concrete testing, built for Giatec’s award-winning SmartRock wireless concrete sensors. Over 8,000 construction projects across 80 countries have used SmartRock. This, in turn, gives Roxi access to millions of data points.
About Giatec
Giatec is a global company. They are revolutionizing the construction industry. They are doing this by bringing both smart testing technologies and real-time data collection to the forefront of every jobsite. Giatec’s suite of both hardware and software products has leveraged advanced technologies such as; Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT), including; wireless concrete sensors, mobile apps, and also advanced non-destructive technologies (NDT) to drive innovation throughout concrete’s lifecycle. For more information, you can also visit www.giatec.ca
About Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) helps Canadian companies develop and deploy competitive, clean technology solutions. They do this to help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. These challenges include climate change, clean air, clean water and clean soil. By taking a cross-Canada approach, from seed to scale, and in partnership with the best peers and experts, SDTC is the global benchmark for sustainable development innovation programming.
