Concrete element manufacturer Consolis Parma and Finnish material technology company Betolar have completed testing for low-carbon hollow-core slabs.

The research and testing phase of the development partnership between Consolis and Betolar involved significant laboratory studies.

The castings were put through extensive full-scale initial testing with different cross-sections.

These tests were conducted at both Betolar and Consolis’ material development centres in Rusko, Finland.

Meanwhile, industrial-scale production testing was carried out at Consolis’ facility in the village of Hyrylä in the country.

Consolis' CEO Hannu Tuukkala said: “In collaboration with Betolar, we have carried out several industrial-scale production tests using different types of hollow-core slabs.

“The tests have validated the production potential of manufacturing hollow-core slabs with extremely low cement quantities.

“The test results are so promising that it is entirely feasible to produce such a structural product almost entirely without cement.”

The new slabs are claimed to help achieve up to 75% lower emissions than regular precast hollow-core slabs, achieved by employing Betolar’s 'Geoprime' technology.

With the conclusion of the testing programme, the development project has moved into its manufacturing phase, after which it will be trialled in real test sites.

Finnish construction company YIT has expressed its interest to test the new slabs.

Last year, YIT began using Consolis' low-carbon hollow-core slabs based on its PARMA Green technology.

YIT's Housing EVP Antti Inkilä said: “The deliveries of Parma’s low-carbon hollow-core slabs to our ongoing projects have proceeded smoothly, and we are very interested in testing the even lower-carbon alternative resulting from this development work in practice.”