Our Martinez Facility is a 2017 Recipient of a “Pollution Prevention Award”

The Conco Companies’ Martinez facility was recently honored as a recipient of the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District’s Pollution Prevention Award.  All private businesses and organizations located within the Central San’s service area are eligible to enter the annual event.  Award recipients are recognized for going above and beyond in their business practices in regard to pollution prevention and environmental protection.    

Rating “Green” Projects by the LCA Process

The term “Life-cycle assessment” (LCA) is defined by Wikipedia as a cradle to grave analysis used to assess the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life.  This includes raw material extraction and materials processing as well as the manufacturing, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling of the product.

Research on a New, Greener Type of Concrete

As one of the largest commercial concrete contractors in the nation, The Conco Companies are always looking to improve the concrete services and products we bring to our customers.  To this end, we work closely with contractors, developers, and engineers on various concrete methodologies in an effort to develop the best standards and practices in the industry today.  

Since cement is one of the primary producers of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, Conco is also interested in the efforts of researchers who are trying to develop cements that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  One recent study that caught our eye was published in the Construction and Building Materials journal by a team of engineers from Oregon State University, Purdue University and Solidia Technologies.  

The group’s findings show a “great potential for a type of cement that gains strength through carbonation, rather than the use of water.”  This new cement appears to not only help address global warming but also produces a more durable concrete.  Researchers report that a concrete mix using this type of cement is better able to resist common de-icing salts that are responsible for reducing the lifespan of our roads.    

Carbonated calcium silicate-based cement (CCSC) offers not only the benefit of protecting against damage from sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, but will help to save money spent on road maintenance.  It is estimated that the damage from de-icing salts costs about $1 million a mile to fix and that the typical 40-year lifespan of a road’s surface is reduced to only 8 to 10 years.   

Studies like these are important to the cement industry, which is committed to working toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions.  The researchers report that the first uses of CCSC will be in pre-cast concrete products and other uses will follow. 

Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project.  We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development. We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

Source: phys.org/news/2016-04-cement-environmental.html  

5 Concrete Sustainability Facts

Builders looking to work with environmentally conscious materials should look no further than concrete. Concrete is abundant, locally available, and conveniently highly energy efficient and sustainable. Don’t just take our word for it, check out these five facts about concrete’s sustainability and see why concrete outshines the rest.

Thermal Mass

Thermal mass measures a materials capacity to absorb and release heat. Concrete has a high thermal mass, allowing it to absorb lots of heat and then release that heat slowly over time. This creates a consistent temperature (eliminates wild temperate fluctuations) and reduces the energy needs of the building.

Emission Free

Concrete is completely chemically inert once fully cured; thus, it does not contain any toxic chemicals nor will it release any harmful gases or toxic materials if it comes in contact with outside chemical agents.

Recyclable

Concrete can be broken down into an aggregate dust or large chunks and reused as material for roads, walls, and other applications. This, combined with a culture of recycling in the construction community, creates a situation where very little concrete ends up in landfills. This is great because concrete is not biodegradable.

Cost Effective

Given how durable, versatile, energy efficient, and low maintenance concrete is, it is one of the most cost-effective building materials to use in the long-term.

Low Carbon Footprint

Innovations in concrete, such as low carbon cement, combined with its unparalleled sustainability features listed above make concrete one of the lowest carbon footprint building materials. In fact, concrete is the building material of choice for LEED certified buildings: possibly contributing 20 points towards the minimum 26 points necessary to quality for LEED certification.

Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project.  We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development.

An Introduction to LEED Certification

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) prestigious rating system which certifies that a building, home, or community meets the highest standards of environmental sustainability. The certification, founded in 1998 and is now acknowledged as a worldwide standard, has had a major impact on sustainable design standards. In fact, over 1.85 million sqft becomes LEED certified each day¹.

What is LEED Certification?

LEED is essentially rating system created to benchmark the “green” performance of a building. Designed to be a practical framework for accomplishing green building design and construction, LEED focuses on performance in five core tenets:

• Sustainable site development
• Water savings
• Energy efficiency
• Materials selection
• Indoor environmental quality

For each category, the LEED certification system outlines a set of requirements called “credits” and each credit is worth 1 point. At a minimum, a building requires 40 points to achieve a LEED certification and greater certification levels are offered to buildings with more points. The LEED certification levels are as follows:

• Basic Certification 40 – 49 Points
• Silver Certification 50 – 59 Points
• Gold Certification 60 – 79 Points
• Platinum Certification 80 – 110 Points

How and When to use LEED?

Contrary to popular belief, the LEED rating system is not just for commercial buildings. It is also appropriate for implementing sustainable solutions in neighborhoods, community projects, and even residential homes. Additionally, the core tenets of the LEED certification can be applied to projects at all points of the development process—from initial designs and renovations to simple improvements.

What are the benefits of LEED certification?

Certifying a home or building using the LEED system offers sizeable financial, environmental and health benefits for both the building owners and the planet.

• Financial: Save money with an energy efficient building which uses less power and less water.  Also, LEED buildings may qualify for additional tax rebates and incentives at the local level.
• Environmental: LEED buildings conserve energy and water.
• Health: LEED buildings use recycled or renewable materials which are healthier and safer for occupants.
  

The Conco Companies’ mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project.  We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development. We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

“Green Building” Practices are Good for the Environment & Business

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) reports, “As of May 2016, more than 15 billion square feet of building space is LEED-certified worldwide. More than 851 million square feet of real estate space became LEED-certified in 2015, representing a 10.4 percent jump from 2014.”  They add that the green building market will set a record in 2015 with “LEED-certification being reported as a top sustainable goal for both public and private organizations.”   

One of incentives to construct LEED certified buildings is that despite the initial higher investment, the building is ultimately more valuable.  USGBC cites an average increase in value of 4 percent, in part, due to the building’s energy efficiencies and reduced maintenance costs.  The return on the investment is typically as fast as seven years and that doesn’t take into account the enhanced health benefits for the buildings’ occupants and the benefits to the environment.     

In addition according to the USGBC, LEED certified buildings “report almost 20 percent lower maintenance costs than typical commercial buildings, and green building retrofit projects typically decrease operation costs by almost 10 percent in just one year.”  Further statistics indicate that LEED certified buildings in the U.S. offer an estimated:  $1.2 billion in energy savings; $149.5 million in water savings, $715.2 million in maintenance savings and $54.2 million in waste savings.    

Experts state that the growth in green building is also fueled by higher standards and guidelines both federally and state-wide.  In addition there is a greater awareness by the general public regarding rising energy costs and global water shortages.  A number of new projects are becoming even more ambitious and are working to construct buildings that have an annual zero net energy usage. 

At The Conco Companies, we are one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western U.S. and offer a wide range of quality services and products.  Our experience includes providing services for commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.  We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

Source:usgbc.org/articles/green-building-facts 

Sustainable Building Practices are Good for the Environment and Business

Chris Martin, of AC Martin, and the lead architect on the Wilshire Grand project in downtown L.A., wrote an article a few years ago for the Los Angeles Downtown News about the sustainable practices used for the “green deconstruction” of the old hotel on the site.  He states the fact that, “From demolition to construction to maintenance, the new projects in Downtown are incorporating green construction. It’s not only for environmental or PR reasons — done right, the moves can also save money.”  He goes on say that deconstruction of the old Wilshire Grand exhibited the best in today’s new green practices. 

Going the way of a wrecking ball for the old hotel was not practical as it had been constructed in 1951 and was filled with high levels of asbestos.  Without care taken to remove the asbestos, it would have contaminated the valuable building materials that included glass, steel, aluminum and concrete, and have made them unusable.  By carefully deconstructing the building, crews were able to properly remove the harmful asbestos as well as to recycle the greatest amount of materials.

Concrete from the structure’s columns, walls, and floors was broken into pieces at the jobsite and then taken away to recycling plants to be crushed.  This type of crushed rock is excellent for backfill, roads and building pads.  The steel that was recovered from the old hotel was sent to a plant to be melted down and reformed into new rebar.  

Furthermore, the new Wilshire Grand tower is using many recycled building materials and will incorporate sustainable practices.  Mr. Martin suggests that, “We can all look for new ways to focus on sustainability and environmental protection. It’s not just good for the environment, it’s also good business.”   

Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project.  We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development.

Recycling Concrete Makes Good Sense

Even at the end of the lifespan of a concrete building, bridge or highway, the concrete used to construct it still has a use.  Since concrete is the most widely used man-made material in the world, it is important that concrete is recycled rather than taking up space in landfills as was done in the past.  Also by using recycled material as gravel, it reduces the need for gravel mining as well as reduces the amount of pollution created in making new concrete. 

Today concrete is routinely recycled and the aggregate produced is used to create new concrete or for a number of other purposes.  Recycling concrete from a building starts right at the site of the demolition.  Crews work to prepare the concrete by removing as many contaminates as possible by separating the concrete from material such as roofing, trash, and wood. 

Now the concrete is put through several steps such as crushing, pre-sizing, sorting, screening and the further elimination of any contaminants.  Typically it is cleaned by a water method in order to eliminate dirt and any other remaining materials.  It is critical that materials such as asphalt, sealant, chlorides and gypsum are removed.  

Also it is at the recycling facility where the reinforced steel (rebar) is removed.  This involves the use of huge magnets that attract and identify the steel for removal.  Once the rebar is removed, it is transported to plants that specialize in processing steel materials.   

If the recycled concrete is free of contaminants, it will be used as a dry aggregate in brand new concrete.  Another easy method to reuse concrete pavement is to break it in place and use it as a base layer for an asphalt pavement through a process called “rubblization.” Furthermore, there is a market for used concrete that has not been processed and screened as carefully.  This is used as an aggregate for fill, drainage, or as sub-base gravel before asphalt or new concrete is poured.

The Conco Companies' mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western U.S. and to bring experience, expertise and quality to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for a wide range of construction development. We have four regional offices serving California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and Washington.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_recycling