Abstract: Construction and demolition waste is a major contributor to landfill, yet its use in concrete remains limited due to inconsistent quality and performance concerns. CO2 Concrete addresses this by injecting carbon dioxide into recycled aggregate before mixing, triggering mineral carbonation that improves aggregate strength and bonding with cement. Testing shows CO2 Concrete can deliver mechanical and durability performance comparable to conventional concrete made with virgin aggregate. The process also permanently stores CO₂, reducing the embodied carbon of concrete while increasing confidence in recycled materials. CO2 Concrete offers a practical, scalable solution to support low-carbon construction and wider construction and demolition waste reuse.

https://www.co2concrete.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/18578057/admin/dashboard/

Distinguished Professor Vivian W. Y. Tam FTSE is a world‑leading researcher in construction engineering and management, renowned for her contributions to green buildings and recycled concrete in addressing climate‑change challenges. She is Director of the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Digital Platforms for Net‑Zero Building Ecosystem Lifecycle (NØBEL) at Western Sydney University.

Professor Tam has served as a College of Experts member for the Australian Research Council (2018–2021, 2025– ). She is Editor‑in‑Chief of the International Journal of Construction Management and has published more than 330 refereed journal articles, including eight highly cited papers. Her work has attracted over 42,000 citations with an h‑index above 108 and has been supported by nine ARC projects. Her achievements include winning the 2025 NSW Premier’s Prize for Excellence in Engineering or ICT and being recognised among the Top 2% of scientists globally since 2017. She was also Runner‑Up for the 2019 Scopus Researcher of the Year Award (Sustainable Future) and led the team awarded the Gold Prize at the 2021 GISU Urban Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.

Panel Members:

Saji Srivelan is the Sustainability Manager on the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 – Enabling Works Project in NSW, Transport for New South Wales’ first Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) v2.1 project. Saji completed a bachelor of chemical engineering and pharmaceutical science and commenced working in the Sustainability Division for John Holland on the landmark Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project in Victoria. Since then, she has been involved in multiple projects with John Holland, including the Level Crossing Removal Projects in Victoria and John Holland’s first IS v2.1 – Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre and Pipelines in NSW.

Lourdes Sanchez is the National Technical Manager for Aggregates and NSW/ACT at Holcim Australia. A civil engineer with nearly 30 years of experience, she specialises in concrete, aggregates, and cement applications.

Lourdes began her career with Holcim Spain in 1998, managing quality assurance, mix design, and quality control across multiple business units. In 2013, she relocated to Australia to lead technical services for NSW/ACT. In this role, she has been instrumental in delivering NSW’s most transformative infrastructure projects, including North West Rail Link, WestConnex, several Sydney Metro projects, the M7-M12 integration, and the CBD Light Rail. Today, Lourdes focuses on driving innovation through low-carbon concrete solutions to build a more sustainable future.

Location: KW-O.1.20, Western Sydney University Penrith Campus