ConTech Series: Concrete Example – R&D Drives Pan-United’s Success in Green Solutions

By BCA

Concrete mixer trucks and Singapore's central business district: an uncommon pairing made common by the busy construction site of The Skywaters. The continuous mass pour of the building's massive raft foundation in January 2025 required a constant delivery of concrete over 35 consecutive hours, streamlining the completion of its base much faster than conventional methods. Once completed, this landmark building will be Singapore's tallest, towering at 305m. Pan-United’s AiR Digital platform, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), played a crucial role in enhancing productivity. The platform’s key features, including dynamic planning and scheduling, automated raw material replenishment, and intelligent vehicle queuing systems, ensured a smooth, delay-free delivery and transition of ready-mix concrete (RMC) from the batching plants to the construction site, optimising productivity on the go. Timing is critical to construction success: concrete has a typical setting time of about 2 hours. “Once the concrete starts to set, it is difficult for newly poured concrete to bond with the existing concrete,” explained Mr Ken Loh, Chief Executive Officer of Pan-United Corporation Ltd. In the race against the clock, any traffic delays owing to the building’s downtown location would be a costly issue.

By investing in continued Research & Development (R&D), productivity and environmental gains are achievable, accessible, and attainable across the construction industry. Through this example of innovation, Pan-United affirms its position as a market leader in (RMC).

Concrete Innovations

Concrete forms the backbone of Singapore’s construction industry. The material’s versatility, strength, and durability make it the preferred choice across a range of building types, from public residential flats to iconic skyscrapers. However, concrete production comes with a price: the significant environmental cost due to its high carbon footprint. Concrete alone may contribute up to 60% of a building’s embodied carbon. In response to this, Pan-United pioneered its PanU Carbon Mineralised Concrete (PanU CMC+) in 2020: concrete that turns buildings into carbon sinks, storing carbon within its mineral structure and thereby reducing overall emissions.

When carbon dioxide (CO2) is injected into concrete, it reacts with the water and cement content, undergoing a chemical reaction called CO2 mineralisation. (Image Credit: Pan-United)

“Pan-United is the first in Asia to use this carbon capture and utilisation technology in concrete production,” said Mr Loh. By injecting industrial waste CO2into the concrete mix, the carbon dioxide undergoes mineralisation and becomes nano-sized minerals permanently embedded within the concrete.

The environmental improvement is substantial: Pan-United’s low-carbon concrete solutions have a carbon footprint that is up to 60% lower than that of traditional concrete. In tandem, PanU CMC+ and Pan-United's other innovations can reduce a building’s whole-life carbon emissions by up to 20%, demonstrating the success of R&D in transforming the Built Environment with greater sustainability and productivity outcomes.

Digital Innovations

Pan-United Trucks

The company’s Artificial Intelligence for Mixing (AiM) system was successfully developed and deployed as the pioneer project to be completed under BCA’s Built Environment Technology Alliance (BETA) Catalyst Funding initiative. The system utilises IoT sensors and AI to autonomously monitor and maintain the workability of concrete (also known as concrete slump) – specifically, how easily it flows and can be shaped – while mixer trucks are en route to construction sites.

“If adjustments are needed to maintain the required consistency, they can be made in real-time,” said Mr Loh. This means concrete arrives at sites with the right consistency for pouring, eliminating guesswork and reducing waste.

This creates an end-to-end quality control system that reduces labour requirements by eliminating the need for on-site quality assessors. For customers, AiM minimises the risk of project delays from unsatisfactory concrete mixes, while Pan-United benefits from improved operational efficiency and reduced material wastage.

Pan-United is now collaborating with factory equipment supplier Azimuth Technologies on an 18-month project. Funded by BCA’sBuilt Environment Accelerate-to-Market Programme (BEAMP), the development of robotic systems for concrete slump testing and cube sample making is underway.

The project, which began in March 2025 and is scheduled for completion in September 2026, aims to reduce manpower requirements by at least 30%.

Pan-United’s in-house R&D facility, the Pan-United Innovation Centre, will continue to expand the company’s portfolio of specialised concrete solutions through rigorous testing and development of new materials and processes.

Paving the Way Forward

The market has responded positively to Pan-United’s innovations. Low-carbon concrete now makes up over 50% of its total sales volume, demonstrating growing industry acceptance of sustainable materials. Pan-United advocates for increased cross-industry collaboration to accelerate the implementation of sustainable practices and digital technologies. Additionally, Pan-United has strategically positioned itself at Singapore’s first Integrated Construction Park (ICP) at Jurong Port. ICPs will enhance productivity and environmental sustainability by bringing related construction facilities closer together, creating leaner and greener supply chains for construction materials.

Creating a greener and more efficient built environment is only possible through continued R&D efforts. Pan-United’s success demonstrates how strategic investment can transform a traditional construction materials business into a leader in technology and sustainability.

“Sustainability remains at the core of what we do, despite higher investments, costs, and efforts,” said Mr Loh. “Pan-United is committed to offering only low-carbon concrete by 2030, carbon-neutral concrete products by 2040, and becoming a carbon-neutral company by 2050.”

BE firms looking to leverage R&D to develop or enhance capabilities, create new business models, and better position themselves to capture new opportunities can tap into appropriate programmes under the BuildSG Transformation Fund. BCA stands ready to work with firms to advance their transformation plans.