Better Materials, Better Concrete, Better Outcomes: CGE's Financial Year So Far

Helping Concrete Producers Improve Performance, Develop Better Products and Make Informed Engineering Decisions

As we progress through the 2026–27 financial year (July - October, 2026), Concrete & Geotechnical Engineering (CGE) has continued supporting concrete producers and material suppliers across Australia through practical engineering advice, concrete mix development, material investigations and production performance assessments.

Concrete production presents a complex range of technical and operational challenges. Changes in raw material quality, production variability, seasonal temperature fluctuations, increasingly demanding specifications and the need to manage costs all influence the performance and efficiency of concrete manufacturing.

Addressing these challenges requires more than simply adjusting a mix design. It requires an understanding of how raw materials, chemical admixtures, concrete properties, batching practices and production processes interact.

At CGE, our approach focuses on applying engineering principles to real production challenges, helping clients understand their materials, identify opportunities for improvement and make informed technical decisions.

From developing specialised concrete mixes for government infrastructure applications and assessing lower-carbon binder technologies to identifying alternative raw material sources, improving production efficiency and addressing seasonal concrete performance issues, the first part of this financial year has involved a diverse range of projects.

Our Financial Year in Numbers

Since July 2026, CGE has undertaken a range of technical assessments and engineering activities to support concrete producers and material suppliers.

Our work has included:

Activity	Financial Year to Date
Concrete producers supported	8
Concrete mix designs reviewed	80
New concrete mixes developed	30
Concrete mix trials supported	20
Alternative material sources investigated	15
Concrete production records analysed	500

These figures demonstrate the breadth of our involvement in concrete technology, mix development, materials engineering and production quality assurance.

More importantly, they represent opportunities to help our clients improve product performance, address technical challenges and strengthen their production processes.

Developing Concrete Mixes for Government Infrastructure Projects

One of CGE's key areas of work this financial year has been supporting concrete producers in developing specialised concrete mixes intended to satisfy state government specifications.

Concrete supplied for government infrastructure projects can be subject to additional technical requirements, particularly regarding durability, drying shrinkage, strength development and constituent material suitability.

Meeting these requirements while maintaining practical production characteristics and commercially viable mix proportions can present significant challenges.

Developing Concrete for Precast and Culvert Applications

A current project involves developing and refining concrete mixes for precast elements and culvert applications against Main Roads Western Australia requirements.

CGE's involvement has included developing initial mix designs, reviewing and modifying existing formulations, selecting suitable raw materials, establishing trial programmes and evaluating laboratory trial results.

One of the most significant challenges encountered during this work has been controlling drying shrinkage.

Drying shrinkage is an important consideration for concrete durability and serviceability, particularly where dimensional stability and the potential for cracking must be carefully managed.

However, changes introduced to improve drying shrinkage performance can also influence other concrete properties, including water demand, workability, strength development, placement characteristics and surface finish.

Consequently, successful mix development requires a balanced assessment of the complete concrete system rather than focusing on individual properties in isolation.

Achieving Improved Shrinkage Performance

Through progressive mix design refinement and material selection, the trial programme has achieved encouraging improvements in concrete performance.

Recent drying shrinkage results have been approximately half the initial trial values, while maintaining the required strength performance.

Improvements have also been achieved in workability, placement characteristics and final surface finish.

These results demonstrate the potential benefits of reviewing material compatibility and mix proportions rather than relying solely on changes to cementitious content or admixture dosage.

The mixes remain under trial and assessment, with further evaluation and documentation planned to support the government approval process.

For concrete producers, this type of technical development can provide opportunities to expand product capabilities and pursue supply opportunities requiring more specialised concrete.

Advancing Lower-Carbon Concrete Technologies and Infrastructure Compliance

Over the past four months, CGE has contributed to concrete development programmes focused on alternative binder systems, lower-carbon cementitious materials and compliance with demanding road infrastructure specifications. The work has combined laboratory assessment, trial mix development and practical production considerations.

Low-Carbon Mix Development

Investigations have included concrete containing calcined clay, alternative binder systems and supplementary cementitious materials. These technologies may offer opportunities to reduce embodied carbon, but their suitability must be evaluated against the complete range of performance and specification requirements.

Trial programmes have assessed workability, strength development, durability, setting characteristics, material compatibility and cost efficiency. The objective is to develop formulations that offer practical production and performance benefits without introducing unacceptable technical risks.

Technical Submissions for Road Infrastructure

CGE has provided technical support for concrete mix approval documentation associated with Transport for NSW highway maintenance applications and VicRoads requirements, including Section 610.

This work has involved interpreting specification requirements, reviewing constituent material information, assessing trial and laboratory results and preparing technical justifications, declarations and supporting approval documentation. It has also included submissions for potential lower-carbon concrete mixes incorporating innovative binder technologies.

The distinction between preparing and submitting an approval package and obtaining final approval remains important; assessment and acceptance depend on the applicable authority and project requirements.

Manufactured Sand, Aggregates and Admixtures

CGE has also investigated opportunities to increase the use of manufactured sand through assessment of aggregate grading, petrographic information, Methylene Blue Value test results and concrete performance data. Such work can help producers evaluate raw material flexibility and potential supply risks while maintaining required concrete properties.

Complementary admixture investigations have focused on workability retention, setting time control and compatibility with alternative binder systems, including where longer transport or placement windows are required.

Practical Outcomes

Together, these activities have supported the development of innovative concrete formulations, strengthened specification and compliance submissions, and identified options for more efficient use of materials. They demonstrate how detailed technical assessment can help producers respond to changing infrastructure and sustainability requirements while maintaining a focus on performance in real production conditions.

Finding Better Raw Materials for Concrete Production

The quality and consistency of concrete are fundamentally influenced by the characteristics of its constituent materials.

Coarse and fine aggregate grading, particle shape, fines content, absorption, cementitious material characteristics and admixture compatibility can all influence concrete behaviour.

Even materials that satisfy individual specification requirements may produce significantly different results when incorporated into a concrete mix.

This financial year, CGE has been assisting clients in identifying, investigating and evaluating alternative sources of concrete materials.

Why Material Selection Matters

In many cases, material investigations have been initiated because existing materials are contributing to undesirable concrete performance.

Common challenges include excessive water demand, inconsistent workability, variable strength development and difficulties maintaining consistent production characteristics.

Changing a raw material source may provide an opportunity to address these issues, but alternative materials must be evaluated carefully to ensure that potential improvements do not introduce other performance concerns.

Our work has involved investigating alternative sources of coarse aggregates, natural sands, manufactured sands, cementitious materials, supplementary cementitious materials and chemical admixtures.

CGE's assessments have included identifying potential suppliers, reviewing independent laboratory testing, comparing material characteristics and evaluating concrete mix trial results.

Improving Concrete Performance Through Better Materials

Several clients have successfully incorporated alternative materials into their concrete production following these assessments.

The benefits observed have included:

• Reduced water demand.

• Improved concrete workability and consistency.

• Improved compressive strength development.

• Better overall mix performance.

These outcomes demonstrate an important principle of concrete technology: a material should be evaluated based on how it performs within the complete concrete mix, not simply its individual properties or purchase price.

For example, an aggregate source that produces lower water demand may allow a concrete producer to achieve the required workability with a reduced water–cement ratio.

Depending on the mix design and other performance requirements, this may improve strength development or create opportunities to optimise cementitious content.

Similarly, improved aggregate grading and particle characteristics can influence packing density, paste demand and the consistency of fresh concrete.

By understanding these relationships, CGE helps clients identify material combinations that provide improved performance and potentially more efficient production.

Addressing Winter Concrete Bleeding Through Admixture Optimisation

An additional area of work this financial year has involved helping concrete producers address excessive bleeding during colder winter conditions.

Concrete performance can change considerably throughout the year as ambient temperatures, concrete temperatures and environmental conditions influence cement hydration and setting behaviour.

During winter, lower concrete temperatures generally slow cement hydration and extend setting times. Depending on the mix characteristics, this can prolong the period during which bleed water rises to the concrete surface.

Excessive or prolonged bleeding can create several challenges during concrete placement and finishing, including:

• Accumulation of surface bleed water.

• Extended waiting periods before finishing operations can commence.

• Greater difficulty achieving consistent surface finishes.

• Increased risk of surface defects where finishing occurs before bleeding has ceased.

• Reduced consistency in placement and finishing operations.

These issues can be particularly problematic for concrete producers supplying applications where predictable setting behaviour and finishing characteristics are important.

Improving Winter Concrete Performance

CGE has been working with clients to improve winter concrete performance through adjustments to chemical admixture dosages, including the use and optimisation of setting accelerators.

This work has focused on understanding how admixture dosage influences fresh concrete behaviour under colder production conditions.

Setting accelerators can help promote earlier cement hydration and setting, potentially reducing the duration over which bleeding occurs. However, their effectiveness depends on the cementitious materials, admixture chemistry, concrete temperature and overall mix design.

Dosage adjustments must therefore be considered carefully to avoid introducing undesirable changes to workability, setting characteristics or other concrete properties.

Through targeted adjustments to admixture and accelerator dosages, CGE has helped clients reduce excessive concrete bleeding during winter production.

This work highlights the importance of recognising that a concrete mix performing well during warmer conditions may require additional consideration during colder periods.

Rather than making broad changes to mix proportions, targeted admixture optimisation can provide an effective means of improving seasonal production performance.

The outcome: Helping concrete producers better manage winter bleeding, improve control over fresh concrete behaviour and reduce the operational difficulties associated with prolonged bleeding.

Improving Concrete Production Efficiency and Quality Assurance

Concrete production generates significant quantities of data.

Batching records, material consumption figures, aggregate moisture measurements, slump results and compressive strength testing all provide information about how concrete mixes perform during production.

However, this information is most valuable when assessed collectively to identify trends, variability and opportunities for improvement.

Throughout the financial year, CGE has been assisting concrete producers through detailed reviews of production data, quality assurance records and concrete mix performance.

Understanding Production Variability

Our assessments have included reviewing:

• Concrete mix designs and material proportions.

• Batch production records and material tolerances.

• Aggregate moisture corrections and water additions.

• Water–cement ratios.

• Slump results and fresh concrete performance.

• Compressive strength results and statistical variability.

• Material consumption.

• Quality assurance systems and AS 1379 compliance.

A recurring area of investigation has been the influence of aggregate moisture corrections on concrete production.

Variations in aggregate moisture can significantly influence the total water introduced into a concrete mix.

Where moisture corrections are inaccurate or inconsistently applied, the resulting changes in water content may influence workability, compressive strength and production consistency.

By reviewing batching practices alongside concrete test results, CGE has been helping clients identify potential sources of variability and opportunities to improve production control.

Identifying Opportunities to Reduce Cementitious Content

Another important area of work has been evaluating opportunities to optimise existing concrete mixes.

Concrete producers may adopt conservative mix proportions to accommodate uncertainty in material quality, production variability or strength performance.

While this approach can provide additional strength margins, it may also result in higher cementitious material consumption than necessary.

Through detailed mix design reviews and statistical assessments of production performance, CGE has been identifying opportunities to improve material efficiency.

Some of these assessments are now identifying opportunities to reduce cementitious content while maintaining equivalent compressive strength performance.

Achieving this outcome requires careful consideration of production variability, material compatibility, durability requirements and the relevant specification criteria.

The objective is not simply to remove cement from a mix, but to develop a more efficient concrete formulation that continues to satisfy all applicable performance requirements.

Where successfully implemented and verified, these improvements can provide meaningful operational and commercial benefits for concrete producers.

Supporting Technical Knowledge and Industry Capability

Engineering assessments provide the greatest long-term value when the findings can be understood and applied by the people responsible for day-to-day production.

Alongside our consulting activities, CGE has continued developing and delivering technical training to concrete production and quality assurance personnel.

These training programmes focus on connecting engineering principles with the practical challenges encountered in batching plants, laboratories and production environments.

Topics have included concrete materials, mix design principles, admixtures, concrete testing, production control and quality assurance requirements.

Our approach focuses on explaining not only what procedures should be followed, but why those procedures matter and how they influence concrete performance.

For example, understanding the relationship between aggregate moisture, effective water–cement ratio and strength development can help production personnel recognise potential problems before they result in non-conforming concrete.

Similarly, improving understanding of admixture behaviour under different temperature conditions can help production teams make more informed decisions when managing seasonal changes in concrete performance.

By strengthening technical knowledge across production teams, CGE aims to help clients achieve more consistent outcomes and develop greater confidence in their internal quality management processes.

Practical Engineering Solutions That Deliver Value

Across the projects undertaken this financial year, a consistent theme has emerged.

Improving concrete performance does not always require completely new materials, expensive equipment or major changes to production infrastructure.

In many cases, meaningful improvements can be achieved by better understanding the materials already being used, reviewing existing production data and applying targeted engineering adjustments.

Whether the objective is to reduce drying shrinkage, minimise winter bleeding, improve workability, identify a more suitable aggregate source or optimise cementitious content, the starting point is understanding the technical factors influencing performance.

CGE's role is to help clients identify those factors and develop practical solutions supported by engineering analysis and testing.

Our approach combines technical knowledge with an understanding of the operational and commercial considerations faced by concrete producers.

Looking Ahead

As the 2026–27 financial year continues, CGE remains focused on supporting concrete producers, quarry operators and material suppliers through independent engineering advice and practical technical solutions.

Our ongoing work includes progressing specialised concrete mix development, evaluating alternative raw material sources, reviewing production performance and identifying opportunities to improve material efficiency and seasonal concrete performance.

We look forward to continuing our collaboration with clients and helping them address the technical challenges associated with producing consistent, high-quality concrete.

How Can CGE Help Your Business?

Whether you are developing a new concrete mix, investigating alternative raw materials, preparing for government approval requirements, managing seasonal production challenges or looking to improve production efficiency, CGE can provide the engineering support needed to make informed decisions.

Making the Most of the Christmas Shutdown Period

With the Christmas period approaching, many concrete producers will have a quieter production schedule or planned plant shutdowns.

This can be a useful opportunity to review existing mix designs, raw materials, strength results and production data, identifying potential improvements before operations return to normal in the new year.

CGE will be working throughout the Christmas period and is available to assist producers with technical reviews, mix optimisation and materials assessments.

Whether you're looking to make the most of the quieter Christmas period or planning your next project, contact Concrete & Geotechnical Engineering to discuss how our team can support your operation.

Independent Technical Advice. Practical Solutions. Better Concrete.

Concrete & Geotechnical Engineering (CGE)

Better Materials. Better Concrete. Better Engineering Decisions.