EP #157: Low-Carbon Concrete - Does the Math Actually Work?
From Concrete Logic by Seth Tandett
May 14, 2026 · 39 min · Season 1 · Episode 157
About this episode
Seth Tandett discusses the viability of low-carbon cement with Ryan Gilliam, focusing on its economic competitiveness and market adoption.
THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: GPRS Before you cut, core, drill, or excavate, make sure you know what is inside the concrete. GPRS helps contractors locate rebar, conduit, post-tension cables, utilities, and other hidden hazards before they become expensive problems. Their scans help reduce hits, downtime, expenses, and keep your people safe. Learn more here: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/gprs ON THIS EPISODE OF THE CONCRETE LOGIC PODCAST Low-carbon cement sounds good on paper. But can it actually compete in the real concrete market without subsidies, mandates, or customers paying a “green premium”? That is the question Seth gets into with Ryan Gilliam, CEO of Fortera. Ryan explains how Fortera’s approach differs from many other low-carbon cement companies by bolting onto existing cement plants, using limestone as the feedstock, and turning CO₂ back into a reactive cementitious product. This conversation gets into the hard part of low-carbon cement: economics, field performance, scaling, ready-mix adoption, policy risk, and whether these products can survive when the market stops caring about the carbon story. Ryan makes the case that the future of…
People in this episode
Host: Seth Tandett
Guest: Ryan Gilliam
Topics covered
- low-carbon concrete
- cement technology
- economics of cement
- sustainability
- construction industry
- green technology
Keywords
- low-carbon cement
- Fortera
- green premium
- construction
- cement plants
- CO2
- sustainability
Sponsors
GPRS
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Fortera
More episodes of Concrete Logic
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- EP #159: Low-Carbon Concrete? Kiss My Grits. Type I/II Is Back! · June 2, 2026 · 28 min
- EP #158: Why New Concrete Fails Faster Than the Old Stuff (And How to Fix It) · May 21, 2026 · 26 min
- EP #156: Is Rebar Killing Your Concrete Schedule? · May 7, 2026 · 40 min
- EP #155: EPDs, Data Centers, and the New Paperwork Hitting Concrete Producers · April 30, 2026 · 34 min
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