Said in Concrete

After a season of conversations spanning numerous topics, this special edition episode takes a step back to reflect on the bigger themes shaping the future of construction. Joining Estelle for this recap discussion are David Millar, CEO of the Concrete Institute of Australia, and Clare Tubolets, CEO of SmartCrete CRC. They revisit some of the most important insights and recurring challenges raised throughout the podcast series — from bridging the gap between research and industry, to navigati...

Sustainability in construction is no longer a side conversation. It’s reshaping the way projects are designed, specified and delivered across the industry. In this episode, Estelle sits down with Lauren Howe from Arup and Sam Chen from Mott MacDonald to explore how engineering and materials expertise are helping drive the transition toward lower embodied carbon infrastructure. Rather than focusing purely on future targets, this conversation looks at the practical realities of change — where t...

In this episode, Estelle is joined by Ali Kashani from UNSW and Evan Smith, National Sustainability Manager at Holcim, to explore one of the construction industry’s biggest challenges—decarbonising the way we build. As the push toward net zero continues to accelerate, the conversation around concrete is evolving beyond strength and performance to focus on lifecycle impact, material innovation and smarter decision-making across the supply chain. From low-carbon concrete and Environmental Produ...

Innovation in construction is often talked about as the next big step — but the real question is how we actually get there. In this episode, the focus turns to what happens between a good idea and real-world impact. With so much promising research emerging across the sector, from low-carbon materials to technologies like 3D concrete printing, the challenge isn’t a lack of innovation, it’s translating it into something that can be adopted, scaled and trusted in practice. Joining the conversati...

Durability, performance, and long-term value are becoming central to how we think about construction — but it all starts with the materials we choose. In this episode, Estelle sits down with Craig Mellick and Sean Windred from BG&E Materials to explore the role materials engineering plays in shaping the built environment. From design life and durability to testing, data, and real-world application, the conversation looks at how a deeper understanding of materials can lead to smarter, more...