Kangaroo Island Port Upgrade: Concrete that Goes the Distance

Regional construction projects often face unique challenges, particularly when critical materials need to travel long distances without compromising quality or performance.  

With deep materials expertise, local market knowledge and the ability to develop solutions around specific project conditions, CRH is well placed to overcome these constraints and help customers deliver, even in challenging conditions and locations. 

In Australia, a customer required a specialized concrete solution for infrastructure works on Kangaroo Island, which lies off the southern coast of South Australia. The project demanded a mix capable of maintaining workability for up to eight hours while meeting strict durability requirements. 

Adbri, a joint venture with CRH, worked closely with the customer to develop a customized, proprietary FutureCrete Ultra concrete mix that combined high performance with lower embodied carbon. 

Incorporating 70% slag, the mix was engineered to achieve 55 MPa compressive strength, providing the structural performance for concrete in anchor blocks at the ferry terminal tidal zone, while remaining workable throughout the journey to Kangaroo Island. 

Drawing on the expertise of Adbri’s technical, laboratory, production and logistics teams, the concrete was manufactured at Adbri’s Sellicks Concrete Plant in South Australia, transported 50 miles (77km) to the Cape Jervis ferry terminal, before taking a 45-minute ferry ride to the project site on Kangaroo Island. Through the use of specialized admixtures, the concrete remained workable throughout the journey, enabling successful placement within tight construction timeframes and challenging site conditions. 

The solution has also proven valuable for other customers operating in remote communities across Central Australia, where ready-mix concrete is regularly transported more than 250 miles (~400 kms) to support essential infrastructure and construction projects. 

The successful delivery of this project demonstrates Adbri’s ability to combine technical innovation, low-carbon product development and integrated logistics expertise to solve complex construction challenges. By extending the reach of high-quality ready-mix concrete into remote locations, Adbri helps customers build critical infrastructure safely, efficiently and more sustainably.