Artelia Canada partners with the University of Sherbrooke’s Center of excellence for low-carbon concrete

By joining this Center, our teams are placing themselves at the very heart of efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of a strategic sector of the construction industry. The cement and concrete industry is among the world’s largest sources of GHG emissions: if it were a country, it would rank third among the world’s largest CO₂ emitters. In Canada, these emissions are equivalent to those of approximately 3 million light-duty vehicles.

A powerful tool that will showcase Artelia

The Center of Excellence is based on an ambitious collaborative approach, bringing together researchers, primarily from the University of Sherbrooke but also from other European and North American universities, companies such as Artelia Canada, and public sector stakeholders (MTMD, Hydro-Québec, the City of Montreal, the City of Laval, City of Sherbrooke, and the Régie du bâtiment) join forces to accelerate the development and adoption of low-carbon solutions.

In this context, Artelia Canada will actively contribute to this true hub of innovation by leveraging its expertise in materials engineering, from laboratory testing to on-site monitoring, to ensure the successful use of low-carbon concrete in infrastructure and buildings. Our teams will notably participate in the evaluation of alternative materials and emerging technologies, including the use of mine tailings and clays, to push the boundaries of current practices.

Beyond the partnership, this is also a strategic opportunity to strengthen our ties through these innovation activities with public stakeholders in the development of low-carbon infrastructure and to enrich our internal practices regarding sustainability, material performance, and the circular economy.

A promising and inspiring launch

The official launch of the Center on April 28 at the University of Sherbrooke brought together numerous partners, including some of our colleagues who are experts in materials engineering. The event highlighted the Center’s research capabilities, its areas of innovation, and the scale of the challenges ahead. Presentations by experts, including Professor Arezki Tagnit-Hamou, the Center’s principal investigator, and Céline Cusson, Director of Environment and Sustainable Development at Hydro-Québec, underscored the critical importance of collective action to bring about sustainable transformation in the industry.

By joining this initiative, Artelia Canada reaffirms its commitment to taking concrete action to develop low-carbon solutions. This partnership strengthens our position as a committed player and reinforces the role of our teams in the sustainable transformation of the construction industry.