Eco Material Technologies, a CRH Company, opened a new pilot processing center and its expanded testing laboratory at its Materials Testing and Research Facility (MTRF) in Taylorsville, Ga. Cement Optimized Sales Manager Michael Schoppenhorst attended the grand opening ceremony on May 12.
The new pilot processing center will expand to include a comprehensive 16,400-sq.-ft. research hub, reinforcing Eco Material’s commitment to delivering high-performance, infrastructure-ready cementitious materials at scale by combining advanced research, pilot production and technical services in a single integrated facility.
The expansion of this AASHTO- and CCRL-accredited testing laboratory strengthens the company’s ability to turn a wider range of resources into reliable, ready-to-use building materials, helping customers keep construction projects moving.
“This new pilot processing center and the expansion of our research capabilities strengthen our ability to move from innovation to implementation at scale,” said Grant Quasha, president of Eco Material Technologies. “By advancing how we process and refine diverse material streams alongside pilot production and testing of our advanced technologies, we can convert underutilized resources into reliable, high-performing cementitious products and bring those solutions to market faster. Our MTRF facility plays a central role in ensuring every material we deliver performs in the field.”
“Combined with the additional advanced laboratory resources and expertise available at both Ash Grove and CRH, this facility is ideally positioned to lead innovation in cementitious materials and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of construction,” he added.
The opening of the new pilot processing center and the expansion of the testing lab will:
- Enable pilot production and testing of next-generation cementitious materials, accelerating the path from development to commercial deployment.
- Expand laboratory capabilities for material characterization, concrete testing, and durability analysis across paste, mortar, and full-scale concrete applications.
- Support customers with validated mix designs and technical expertise to improve performance, consistency, and reliability in real-world projects.
- Increase capacity to evaluate and qualify diverse SCM sources, including harvested ash, natural pozzolans, and other industrial materials.
- Catalyze new employment opportunities.
With equipment including a ball mill, classifier, rotary dryer and ES ECOsystem carbon offloading system, the facility enables end-to-end evaluation – from beneficiation through performance testing – allowing the company to rapidly and accurately assess composition, reactivity, strengthen development and durability.
The expansion highlights Eco Material’s continued investment in research, innovation and solutions to support the modernization of infrastructure.
