Can Concrete Be More Environmentally Friendly?

Concrete is one of the most used substances in the world. As the world becomes more and more conscious about how our daily actions impact the environment around us, questions about concrete’s environmental sustainability undoubtedly come up. While concrete may not have the lightest carbon footprint, it does have several other characteristics which still make it a fantastic building material choice.  

Concrete is green (is degradable in its early natural state), durable (lasts over 50 years), energy efficient (has a high thermal mass), and is recyclable (old concrete can be broken down and reused for other projects). Those characteristics are part of why green LEED certified buildings use concrete as their material of choice. The only downside to concrete is that its production facilitates the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Portland cement, an ingredient in concrete and the most widely used cement in the world, is created by heating limestone and other materials until they reach temperatures of 1450 degrees Celsius. This is process requires an immense amount of energy. 

For those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, there are a few novel forms of concrete which claim to be more environmentally friendly. Environmentally friendly cement is either created by using alternative ingredients or by designing an innovative production methodology that uses significantly less energy than traditional cement. These are a few of the most notable: 

• Fly-ash concrete: a by-product of coal-burning power plants.
• Ashcrete: used from recycled fly-ash.
• Blast furnace slag: another product of fly-ash production that can be used in concrete.
• Carbon concrete: a plastic material that is shaped by heat.  

The Conco Companies are one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western U.S. and offer a wide range of quality services and products.  While we tackle projects both big and small, our experience includes providing the entire cast-in-place concrete for the Wilshire Grand, the tallest building west of the Mississippi, along with other notable projects.  We serve California, Oregon, Washington State, Colorado and Nevada.