Concrete is one of the most important materials in construction. Without concrete, homes, bridges, tunnels, viaducts and a large part of our infrastructure would grind to a halt. Yet this very material is increasingly under pressure. The CO2 emissions of cement, the focus on price and volume, and the limited room for innovation make the sector vulnerable. As a result, the need for a new way of looking at concrete production is growing.
This is where the role of Hellebrekers comes in. The company automates a large share of the Dutch concrete plants and is working on a new software platform designed to help concrete producers operate more intelligently, more sustainably and more future-proof. Not by writing off concrete, but precisely by making the production process far more manageable through data, software and new technological insights.
Concrete is not a problem material, but it is a sector facing a challenge
According to Hellebrekers, concrete is not a bad product in itself. On the contrary: it is strong, durable, reliable and virtually indispensable to society. The real problem lies mainly in the way concrete is assessed and produced today. In many cases, concrete is seen as a commodity: a standard product where price and volume have become more important than quality, innovation and process optimisation.
This has consequences. When a sector competes mainly on price, innovation is quickly seen as a risk. Only changes that deliver an immediately demonstrable benefit are given room. As a result, much potential remains untapped, even though the technical possibilities to make concrete smarter and more sustainable have long been available.
Why concrete is far more valuable to society than often assumed
The contribution of concrete is often underestimated, according to Hellebrekers. Many people rarely stop to consider how much concrete is in their home, street, bridge, tunnel or railway structure. Concrete is taken for granted, while in reality it plays a fundamental role in virtually every form of modern construction and infrastructure.
This is precisely why the debate around concrete is more complex than simply being for or against it. The real question is not whether concrete should disappear, but how the sector can handle composition, process control and sustainability more intelligently. Concrete remains necessary, but the way it is made can and must improve.
Why cement is the real point of tension
The greatest sustainability challenge lies in the cement content. Cement accounts for a large part of the CO2 emissions of concrete. That is why this particular part of the recipe is increasingly under the microscope. At the same time, cement is technically crucial, because it forms the binding factor between the other raw materials.
According to Hellebrekers, more cement is still used in many cases than is technically necessary. This happens partly out of caution, partly due to regulations, and partly because processes are insufficiently controlled. The result is overspecification: a safe but suboptimal way of producing, leading to higher CO2 emissions and sometimes even lower durability.
The limitation of traditional concrete making
Many concrete plants still work from experience and fixed rules of thumb. That may seem straightforward, but it has clear limits. Anyone who approaches concrete as a simple mixture of a bit of this and a bit of that loses grip on what is actually happening in the process.
This is problematic, because concrete is not an immediate end product but a promise of quality. Only after some time, often around 28 days, does it become clear whether the hardened product actually meets the desired final strength and quality. This is precisely why process control is far more important than establishing after the fact whether something went right or wrong.
Why data is becoming crucial for modern concrete production
According to Hellebrekers, the key lies in actively using data. The more that is measured in the process, the better producers can steer on workability, quality, raw material use and ultimate performance. Data makes concrete production more manageable.
This offers several advantages. Better process control makes it possible to build in fewer safety margins, use less cement and still achieve the desired quality. This simultaneously results in lower CO2 emissions and a more predictable process. For concrete producers, that is an important step towards future-proof production.
How packing models help reduce cement use
An important technical principle in this development is the use of packing models. Concrete consists of different grain sizes, such as sand and gravel, with cement as the binding factor between them. When those grains are more intelligently matched to each other, fewer voids remain. As a result, less cement is needed to bind everything together.
This may sound technical, but the effect is significant. Smarter grain packing can directly lead to lower cement dosages and therefore lower CO2 emissions. Hellebrekers is working to make such models operationally and practically applicable in software, so that producers not only see the saving potential in theory, but can actually use it in their daily process.
Sensor technology makes concrete smarter and more predictable
In addition to data from the mixing process, sensor technology also plays an increasingly important role. When sensors are cast into concrete, the hardening process can be monitored in real time. This makes it possible to determine much more accurately when concrete has sufficiently cured and when, for example, it is safe to remove the formwork.
This is important, because mistakes at this stage can have major consequences. If concrete is loaded too early or if formwork is removed too soon, damage can occur while the rest of the construction process has already moved on. This is precisely why attention is shifting from testing after the fact to predicting in advance and monitoring during the process.
Why prediction becomes more valuable than checking afterwards
Checking after the fact has clear limits in concrete production. By the time a floor, wall or structure has fully cured and can be tested, the project has often already advanced. If something then turns out to be wrong, the consequences are far greater and more costly.
According to Hellebrekers, this is exactly why process control, predictive models and real-time data are becoming so important. Anyone who sees what is happening earlier in the process can adjust more quickly and prevent errors from only becoming visible when repair is barely feasible. In this way, quality is not only measured but actively managed.
Legislation helps, but also holds back
Legislation and regulations around CO2 and sustainability are setting the sector in motion, but according to Hellebrekers they do not always work out optimally. In some cases, the prescribed cement contents are higher than technically necessary. This makes sustainability harder than it needs to be, because producers are forced to produce more conservatively than the technical reality requires.
This creates tension between regulation and innovation. On the one hand, the market wants to become more sustainable; on the other hand, old certainties and standards continue to steer the system. It is precisely here that there is room for new software, better process control and stronger technical substantiation.
Why the concrete sector now needs true entrepreneurs
According to Hellebrekers, the concrete market above all needs entrepreneurs who look beyond price and volume. Producers who believe that working smarter, measuring better and innovating technologically delivers more than simply moving along with the bottom of the market.
This also involves a different role for software. Software is not the goal, but the means to enable better recipes, smarter process control and new ways of working. Think of AI, trend analyses, weather-dependent recipe adjustments and more precise dosing of admixtures. These kinds of applications make a fundamentally different way of producing possible.
AI can make the concrete sector more objective and smarter
Hellebrekers sees one of the major opportunities in AI. Whereas people often look with a preconceived expectation, AI can recognise patterns and deviations without that human bias. As a result, with sufficient data, new insights can emerge in recipe optimisation, quality control and process behaviour.
This makes AI interesting not only as a technology, but as a practical tool for concrete producers. For example, by automatically adjusting recipes to weather conditions, workability or quality objectives. In this way, software increasingly becomes a co-pilot for the producer rather than merely a registration system.
Collaboration is needed to really get the sector moving
Hellebrekers emphasises that this change does not come about on an island. Concrete producers, contractors, clients, technology partners and market players must work together to genuinely get better working methods off the ground. Only then does room emerge for new standards, better processes and broader acceptance of smarter production methods.
That is why Hellebrekers explicitly seeks collaboration with frontrunners and parties in the chain. Not just to deliver software, but to build a better practice together: step by step towards less CO2, better control and more technical logic in the concrete sector.
What tomorrow's data-driven concrete producer looks like
Looking ahead, Hellebrekers envisions a concrete producer that steers much more strongly on data, real-time process information and predictive quality. A producer that does not routinely add too much cement out of caution, but can intelligently substantiate what is technically really needed.
This type of producer works not only more efficiently, but also more sustainably. Less waste, less overspecification, more grip on hardening, better recipes and smarter software together make the difference. In this way, concrete production becomes not only more modern, but also far more explainable and defensible in the wider societal debate.
Conclusion
The future of concrete lies not in more of the same, but in producing more intelligently. Concrete remains indispensable, but the sector must learn to steer far better on data, process quality and technological optimisation. Using less cement, predicting more, measuring better and deploying software more intelligently are not luxuries in this respect, but necessities.
This is precisely where Hellebrekers wants to make the difference. Not only as a software supplier, but as a party that helps the concrete sector take the step from fixed routines to real process intelligence. Those who dare to make that move now are building a sector that becomes stronger, cleaner and more future-proof all at once.
FAQ
What does Hellebrekers do in the concrete sector?
Hellebrekers automates concrete plants and develops software that helps concrete producers work more intelligently, more sustainably and in a more data-driven way.
Why is concrete under pressure?
Mainly due to the CO2 emissions of cement, price pressure in the market and a sector that has long focused primarily on volume and standardisation.
Why is data so important in concrete production?
Because data helps to control the process better, use less cement, predict quality more accurately and detect errors earlier.
What are packing models in concrete?
Packing models help to match different grain sizes more intelligently, so that less cement is needed and CO2 emissions can be reduced.
What role does AI play in the future of concrete?
AI can recognise patterns, carry out trend analyses and help optimise recipes more intelligently and objectively based on data.
What makes Hellebrekers different from an ordinary software supplier?
Hellebrekers wants to do more than deliver software and focuses on the practical improvement of processes, process control and innovation in the concrete sector.