According to the National Ready Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA), concrete’s “environmentally friendly features make it the building material of choice for sustainability....meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  Concrete fits the criteria of being “green” by using environmentally responsible resources efficiently throughout a building’s life-cycle.  The life-cycle assessment (LCA) takes into account the following: site selection, design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition of a structure.   

Contributing to its sustainability, the major raw material used for the cement in concrete is limestone, and happens to be the most abundant mineral on earth.  Also other materials that are frequently added to concrete such as fly ash or silica fume come from industrial waste products. 

Another reason concrete is “green” is it is extremely durable.  Concrete structures last for decades and during their lifetime require very little maintenance.  Then, once a building has served its purpose, the concrete is crushed and recycled to be used in other building projects such as road beds or backfill. 

Recent improvements in the manufacturing process and technological advancements have made concrete stronger and more versatile than ever.  High-performance concrete has allowed many of today’s skyscrapers, bridges, stadiums, and industrial and commercial buildings possible.  Another environmentally friendly benefit offered by high-performance concrete is its inherent thermal mass.  This allows buildings to be more energy efficient by controlling daily temperature fluctuations that occur within the buildings and helps to keep heating and cooling cost down. 

Concrete, unlike other building materials, is specifically designed for a project so there is very little waste.  Even the light color of concrete has benefits by offering reflectivity that helps to reduce what is referred to as a “heat island effect.”  Light-colored pavement and concrete roofs absorb less heat, and thereby, reflect solar rays.  

Sources:

concretenetwork.com/concrete/greenbuildinginformation/what_makes.html nrmca.org/greenconcrete/

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We got our start in the Bay Area in 1959 by offering clients the best value on a wide range of concrete services and products.  Since that time, we have taken a leading role as one of the top concrete contractors in the region. We have four regional offices serving California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Colorado.