Concrete is the world's most widely used building material

Concrete's Many Green Benefits

How is Sustainability Defined?

One definition of Sustainability may be: "Meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the needs of the future." Sustainable construction attempts to balance environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, occupant comfort and well-being, and community sensitivity.

What is LEED?

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.

LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Concrete's Role in Sustainability

The use of “green” building materials and techniques are a constant presence in our lives. Their use is considered in every stage of design, construction, operation and maintenance of today's buildings. Buildings and homes are being constructed with high-performance concrete wall systems that offer excellent energy efficiency, durability and fire safety. The reflectivity of light-colored concrete pavement and sidewalks helps reduce the urban heat island effect and allow designers to utilize less lighting for a given area.

Green Cement

In 2012, blended cement specifications AASHTO M 240 and ASTM C595 were updated, including a definition for a new type of cement: Portland-limestone cements (PLC), which contain between 5% and 15% finely ground limestone as an ingredient. These cements are referred to as Type IL.

Portland-limestone cement is engineered with a higher limestone content. PLC (Type IL) gives specifiers, architects, engineers, producers, and designers a greener way to execute any structure, paving, or geotech project, with virtually no modifications to mix design or placing procedures. All while maintaining the resilience and sustainability you’ve come to expect from portland cement concrete. To learn more, please visit the Greener Cement webpage.

Concrete is the worlds most widely used building material, when you consider all the positive attributes it brings to a project, there is little wonder why! Should you have any questions about intregrating concrete into your next project please don't hesitate to contact us.

Sustainability Documents

• "Concrete Solutions for Sustainable Development"
• "Concrete and Sustainable School Design"
• Green Building Ordinance
• Illuminance Brochure - Lighter color pavements require fewer lights
• "Adopting a Life Cycle Perspective"
• "Methods, Impacts, and Opportunities in the Concrete Pavement Lifecycle"
• "Methods, Impacts, and Opportunities in the Concrete Building Lifecycle"
• "The Effects of Inflation and Its Volatility on the Choice of Construction Alternatives"