Digitising the concrete industry

A platform that uses AI and machine learning is making the use of concrete more efficient

Spotted: It is estimated that the concrete industry is responsible for around 8 per cent of all global carbon emissions. This is because the entire process of concrete production, distribution, and use is highly energy intensive. At the same time, concrete, and its chief component, cement, are vital for almost all types of construction. Finding a way to manage the production and delivery of cement in order to improve sustainability is the idea behind startup Cloud Cycle.

Cloud Cycle uses sensors to monitor fresh ready-mix concrete in the truck, which allows construction companies to identify any issues early and enables the concrete to be delivered in the most efficient way possible. This approach avoids rejected batches and any associated waste. Sensors are housed in the CloudBox, which contains interfaces designed to mesh with current and future ready-mix concrete trucks. The device is capable of running sophisticated machine learning algorithms at the edge.

Although only two years old, Cloud Cycle claims that they are receiving positive feedback and are actively working on funding and patent applications. According to the company, “To stay at the cutting edge of technology we have built a team of experts in both materials and sensors with PhD backgrounds and experience in academic research as well as patent applications. In our first two years we have successfully delivered on two Innovate UK research projects earning extremely positive feedback from the grant management teams.”

Given the huge amount of carbon emission from the concrete/cement industry, it is little surprise that Springwise has seen a great deal of interest in tackling the issue. Some of the innovations we have covered include strengthening cement with shrimp shells and PPE waste, so that less is needed, and creating cement from fruit and vegetable scraps.

Written By: Lisa Magloff