Kayasand News: 27 February 2025
For the first time in New Zealand a factory floor has been poured using concrete made with 100% manufactured sand.
The milestone pour sets a new benchmark for sustainability in construction and proves that high-performance low emissions concrete can be achieved without relying on dredged natural sand.
Factory owner, APD, is a manufacturer of Stormwater and Wastewater management solutions with a strong environmental focus. Minimising their new factory’s environmental impact was a priority during design. This included sourcing sustainable materials and reducing carbon emissions of the concrete in the new factory floor.
Neil Prime, CEO at APD was confident that sand made by Kayasand’s plant and equipment would deliver on both counts.
“Even their innovative process of washing the sand without water fits with APD’s ethos of doing good from the ground up. There’s no need for tailings or sediment ponds.”
Factory floor slabs are among the most complex concrete applications. The sustainability and low emissions specifications of the APD pour were only possible because of the high-quality engineered sand used in the concrete.
Unlike other manufactured sands, a term frequently used to describe a quarry-waste product called crusher dust, engineered sand is made by precisely controlling the shape, size and consistency of the sand grains. It is designed specifically for use in concrete.
Kayasand concrete trials using 100% engineered sand have already showed a 24% increase in strength and a reduction in cement of up to 15%. Cement accounts for 8% of carbon emissions annually.
Conset Construction, known for their expertise in design and build of large pour flat slabs, was thrilled to lead the pour.
“Not only is it the first commercial pour of its kind, it’s high stakes,” says Alan Ross, General Manager of Conset Construction. “Maintaining a consistency in the mix to ensure a good quality floor is essential.”
Concrete plays a fundamental role in construction due to its strength, durability, and versatility. As urbanisation and infrastructure development continue, demand for concrete is set to grow.
Bram Smith, Kayasand CEO, believes innovation and new approaches are needed to ensure sustainable alternatives and lower-carbon solutions.
“Sands that are precision engineered for performance are the future,” says Smith. “They give us much better control of the outcome and are more environmentally sustainable than natural sands.”
“The APD pour is a prime example of this, and signals engineered sand is ready for use in every concrete project in New Zealand.”
The innovative Japanese technology in Kayasand plant and equipment is already used in over 300 plants across Japan, China, India, and Australia. A typical plant is capable of producing 150,000-600,000 tonnes of concrete sand annually.
Kayasand currently operates 2 plants in Waikato, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia and expects to have at least 15 more by 2030.
For more information contact:
Libby May
021 378 232
libby@sological.co.nz