One of the new big concrete trends globally is the new green concrete with a low (at least lower) carbon footprint compared to traditionally used concrete. Some of these new concrete mixes substitute part of the limestone or calcium silicate, present in normal concrete, with clay products. 

The new types of concrete often face the challenges of:

1. Brown-ish coloring
2. Reduced heat development

The brown-ish color is often “just” an architectural/design challenge, while the reduced internal heat development from the hydration will have a significant impact on the curing process. The reduced heating can be an advantage on very big and thick castings, where you often use retarders and cooling to avoid high maximum and high-temperature variations in the cross-section. 

But the low heat development can also be a challenge on most castings where you need to achieve a certain early strength fast. Therefore, it is crucial to keep track of the temperature (and thereby the curing stage) of the concrete by using sensors when using or developing these new low carbon concrete types.