Ozinga Breaks Ground on North America’s Largest Low-Carbon Cement Mill
Ozinga has officially broken ground on a cutting-edge low-carbon cement manufacturing facility in East Chicago, Indiana. Equipped with one of North America’s largest vertical roller mills, the new plant will produce one million tons of low-carbon cementitious materials annually.
What Are Cementitious Materials?
Cementitious materials are substances with cement-like properties, meaning they harden and bind other materials together when mixed with water. These materials are essential in concrete construction, creating solid and durable structures.
You may have heard the term “supplementary cementitious materials” (SCMs). These are materials that partially replace traditional cement in a concrete mix. Using SCMs offers several advantages, including:
- Enhanced Performance: SCMs improve concrete strength and durability by reducing permeability and increasing resistance to alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and sulfate attack.
- Environmental Benefits: Cement production is energy-intensive and a significant source of global CO2 emissions. Replacing some cement with SCMs helps lower the carbon footprint of concrete.
- Cost Savings: SCMs like Fly Ash and Slag are often more affordable than traditional cement, making them an economical choice.
In a typical concrete mix, cementitious materials make up about 10-15%, while coarse and fine aggregates account for 65-75%. Despite their smaller proportion, cementitious materials play a critical role in determining the overall performance of the mix, far outweighing the impact of other components.
Common cementitious materials in concrete include:
- Portland Cement
- Blended Portland Cement
- Slag Cement
- Class C Fly Ash
- Class F Fly Ash
- Silica Fume
While we break down each of these cementitious products in more detail below, each comes with their own set of benefits. These benefits range from strength and durability to reduced environmental footprints and even better use in high rise buildings.
Available Cementitious Materials
Common Cementitious Materials (SCM’s) used in Concrete
| Property/Feature | Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag | Class-C Fly Ash | Class-F Fly Ash | Silica Fuma |
| Source | Byproduct of iron production | Lignite/sub-bituminous coal combustion | Bituminous/anthracite coal combustion | Byproduct of silicon/ferrosilicon production |
| Calcium Content | High | High (>20%) | Low (<10%) | Very low |
| Pozzolanic Activity | Latent hydraulic | Pozzolanic + Self-cementing | Pozzolanic only | Highly pozzolanic |
| Color | Off-white to light gray | Light gray to tan | Dark gray | Dark gray to white |
| Water Demand | Moderate | Moderate | Low | High |
| Effect on Strength | Improve both early and long-term strength | Early and long-term strength gain | Long-term strength gain | High early strength |
| Durability Improvement | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| ASR Mitigation | Excellent | Moderate (may contribute if not controlled) | Excellent | Excellent |
| Availability | Widely available (industrial regions) | Regional (where lignite/sub-bituminous used) | Widely available | Limited and expensive |
| Cost | Moderate | Low | Low | High |
| Environmental Benefit | High | High (waste reuse, COâ‚‚ reduction) | High | Moderate |
Case Studies
META Data Center
DeKalb, IL
Total Concrete Supplied: 297,000 CYD
Approximate CO2 Avoided: 13,000 tons
Offsetting Forests: 13,040 acres
AWS Data Center
New Carlisle, IN
Total Concrete Supplied: 130,000 CYD
Approximate CO2 Avoided: 2,962 tons
Offsetting Forests: 2,700 acres
Figures and savings calculated based on NRMCA Regional Baseline
Slag Cement in Sustainable Concrete Award
Testing, Implementation of Low-Carbon ASTM C1157 Slag Cement Mix, Amazon Web Services, New Carlisle, IN
Ozinga Donates Fly Ash for 2025 Concrete Industry Management Auction
Ozinga is proud to announce our continued support for the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) Auction at the upcoming World of Concrete 2025. This annual event isn’t just a fundraiser—it’s a catalyst for empowering future leaders in the concrete industry.