Global carbon reduction goals mean a push to find better ways to manage land, energy, industry, construction, and transportation. Construction in the United States relies heavily on concrete for buildings, parking lots, and other structures. Unfortunately, concrete production eats up valuable resources like water and energy and emits damaging carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Fortunately, a more sustainable option for construction exists with green concrete. If you’re new to the idea of sustainable concrete, it may be time to take a look at this amazing innovation. Learn what to know about green concrete.
What Is Green Concrete?
Green concrete is simply concrete that uses fewer new resources during production. Green concrete replaces a portion of the cement sand with alternative materials and should not be confused with recycled concrete, which only uses recycled materials for aggregate to produce new concrete.
A Look Inside Green Concrete
Traditional concrete consists of a mixture of Portland cement sand and aggregate materials such as recycled concrete or gravel. Portland cement sand contains a mix of minerals like calcium, silicon, iron, and aluminum. The mining, transport, and processing of these minerals into cement sand consume vast amounts of resources and energy during production, which releases harmful gas. In fact, 2044 lbs. of CO2 are released for every 2205 lbs. of cement produced.
Instead, green concrete substitutes a portion of that cement sand with more eco-friendly materials that have equally cementitious properties. These replacement materials are usually industrial and manufacturing by-products that would normally end up in the landfill. Some popular choices include:
- fly ash from coal power plants
- ground granulated blast slag, or slag cement from steel mills
- silica fume leftover in electric furnaces during the production of silicon alloys
- fiberglass and waste glass
- rice husk ash
- burnt clay
- sawdust
- foundry sand
Waste from quarries, power plants, foundries, and even food mills produce by-products that can replace cement sand during the production of green concrete.
What Are the Benefits of Green Concrete?
Green concrete use over traditional concrete has a host of benefits. The most draw of the utilization of green concrete is purely environmental.
Less Energy Usage
Incredible levels of heat from burning coal and natural gas are necessary to produce cement sand for traditional concrete. Then, consider the energy required to mine and transport those minerals first. Rather than use all Portland cement sand, green concrete uses only a portion and fills out the rest with waste products already available like fly ash.
Fewer Emissions
Less energy required to manufacture green concrete means fewer emissions of harmful gas into the air. Carbon dioxide trapped within our atmosphere is in part responsible for global warming, which can lead to weather changes, rises in sea level, and even changes in farming yields and animal life. Worldwide, 3.8% of CO2 sources from cement production.
What Can Green Concrete Do for You?
Structures like slabs, patios, parking lots, beams, columns, and walls made with green concrete do more than provide support or create space. When you build with green concrete, you experience a material equally strong and long-lasting. Buildings made of green concrete can better withstand high temperatures from fire.
Additionally, green concrete offers a material option that better resists corrosion from salts and pollution. Similar to traditional concrete, green concrete gives any structure added longevity and strength. Want greater control over heating and cooling costs? Green concrete boosts the thermal insulation of a structure.
If you’re ready to learn more about green concrete and its benefits and how this sustainable material can help you, contact Kglobal Constructly. We offer green concrete and can guide you with this and other building solution options for your concrete needs.