Concrete not yet Green

Concrete Applications

Product edges closer to green,but not there yet

October 1, 2010 - Concrete keeps showing up in sustainable buildings because it’s sustainable, but it still needs some fine-tuning before it’s “green.”

Promoters cite concrete’s longevity, availability, adaptability and reuse. Critics point to the high level of embodied energy in concrete.

To answer critics, the concrete industry is reducing carbon dioxide production with more fuel-efficient plants, alternative fuels and the concrete mix itself.

Still, Greg Mella, principal in SmithGroup, an architectural firm in Washington, D.C., and a member of the American Institute of Architects’ Committee on the Environment, says data show that the embodied energy in concrete is about one-third greater than that of steel.

“Personally, I do think projects that are seeking to reduce the embodied energy of materials and construction might opt to forgo the use of concrete,” he says.

David Shepherd, director of sustainable development at the Portland Cement Association, counters that “improvements in process technology and equipment have resulted in a 33% gain in energy efficiency during the last 30 years, which in turn reduces the amount of coal required to produce a ton of cement and the amount of coal-related emissions.”

He cites U.S. Dept. of Energy data that show U.S. cement production is 2.4% of energy consumption, compared to 11% at iron and steel mills.

PCA members working on cement manufacturing energy efficiency have improved the rate by 12%, working toward a 20% improvement by 2020, Shepherd says. {read rest}