Concrete, the world’s most used construction material, comprises cement, water, and aggregate. However, the manufacture of cement is responsible for 8 percent of man-made carbon-dioxide emissions—the most common form of greenhouse gas.

Each ton of fly ash used to replace portland cement in the production of concrete saves almost one ton of carbon dioxide from entering the earth’s atmosphere. Beyond the environmental benefits of incorporating fly ash in concrete (in amounts of up to 40% replacement), fly ash also imparts significant performance benefits to concrete—including increased strength, workability, durability, and freeze-thaw resistance, as well as lower permeability, shrinkage, and heat of hydration.

For these reasons, fly ash has been specified for use in concrete for decades. However, as more and more coal plants are retired, fresh supplies of fly ash are increasingly scarce—particularly in certain regions of the country, such as Texas. Fortunately, the U.S. has an estimated two billion tons of fly ash in landfills and impoundments throughout the country—enough for many more decades of use in concrete production.

In Texas, as well as many other U.S. states, the state Department of Transportation mandates the use of fly ash in its concrete infrastructure projects. The Texas Department of Transportation has certified that Cinder Residuals source of supply meet all applicable standards for use in the state’s roadways and commercial projects.

Across the country, an increasing number of public agencies are implementing low-carbon procurement policies that prioritize the use of lowercarbon materials in the construction and maintenance of publicly funded buildings and infrastructure. As such, the demand for fly ash in concrete infrastructure is expected to grow strongly in the years ahead.

Applications & Infrastructure Markets

Through its operating subsidiaries, Cinder Residuals supplies processed Class F fly ash for use as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in concrete applications across commercial, civil, energy, and technology-infrastructure markets. Processed material is tested before being placed into silos for sale to verify conformance with applicable ASTM C618 requirements and is supplied to ready-mix producers and contractors for use in project-specific concrete mix designs.

• Cloud & AI Data Center Construction: Class F fly ash can be used in concrete mix designs for data center mat slabs, equipment foundations, and other mass-concrete applications where reduced heat of hydration, long-term durability, and reduced Portland cement demand are project objectives. SCM use can also contribute to lower-embodied-carbon construction strategies.

• Clean Energy & Power Infrastructure: Applications include concrete mix designs for structural foundations, substations, battery energy storage system (BESS) pads, and other power-generation, transmission, and energy infrastructure, subject to applicable project specifications.

• Civil, Transportation & Commercial Infrastructure: Applications include roadway, bridge, municipal, and commercial concrete where Class F fly ash meeting applicable ASTM C618 requirements is specified or permitted.