Construction Industry Development Board chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zaid Zakaria (left) and ACE Greencemt Sdn Bhd group CEO Dr Arian Haddadian at the signing of the memorandum of agreement on Friday to conduct a study on fly ash. (Photo by Zahid Izzani/The Edge)

KUALA LUMPUR (May 17): The Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM), a research institute by the Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia (CIDB), has entered into a collaboration with fly ash supplier ACE Greencemt Sdn Bhd through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to conduct a study, specifically on fly ash, to promote green concrete for a sustainable construction industry.

The MOA signing took place at The MET Corporate Towers here on Friday.

During the MOA signing, CIDB chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zaid Zakaria said, “This agreement between CREAM and ACE Greencemt will foster knowledge transfer from research institutions to increase the adoption of fly ash, facilitating the construction industry towards greener and more environmentally friendly solutions.”

Meanwhile, ACE Greencemt group CEO Dr Arian Haddadian added, “I believe this MOA with CREAM is not just a partnership, but a synergy towards moving for a better construction industry towards achieving sustainability.”

The research will focus on four objectives, namely the evaluation of physical and chemical properties of fly ash available in Malaysia, assessment of fresh and hardened properties of fly ash concrete, a comprehensive study on the long-term durability and microstructural properties of fly ash concrete, as well as the environmental, sustainability and social impact of fly ash concrete.

 “The outcome of this research between CREAM and ACE Greencemt could provide Malaysia's concrete industry with some detailed facts and results of how direct usage of fly ash can help to produce better concrete,” said Zaid, adding that it helps to facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions and dependency of cement production.

Fly ash is a byproduct or waste primarily associated with coal-fired power plants. According to data by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia produced between 1.5 million and two million tonnes of fly ash annually.
Arian pointed out that there is a lack of awareness of the usage of fly ash in Malaysia, despite the fact that there had been numerous researches and usage among projects in Malaysia.

“We have utilised fly ash in various construction projects, such as the Merdeka 118, The Exchange 106, the Mass Rapid Transit projects, as well as the East Coast Rail Link. Yet, many professionals in Malaysia are still unaware of the benefits that fly ash can provide.”


Source: THE EDGE MARKET