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Green Concrete?
I have learned of a cement product that yields higher and earlier strenghts than conventional cement and utilizes mostly post consumer products as bulk fillers. Single application stuccos, flooring toppings and precasting for just about everything is the focus of this technology. My question: are conventional cement based product considered green? And is it possible to make something more green? What are the crtiteria in deciphering the green value of such products?
Generally, there are a
Generally, there are a number of ways to assess the envirnmental impact of building materials.
Calculating the embodied energy would be one - cement takes a great deal of energy to extract, heat, mix and refine.
And you would ask youself whether the materials were recyclable, or renewable. The extraction of cement leaves bl**dy great big, enormous chasms in the landscape. Once it is dug out it is not going to grow back!
It is possible to use cement substitutes, as antisthenes says, I believe up to 30-35% of the cement content in concrete can be replaced with flyash, or other industrial byproducts. But this slows the curing of the concrete, hence the construction time.
The use of lime instead of cement is coming back into fashion with some enviromentally concious people. Lime was used as a simple glue in buildings for centuries. It is flexible and breathable too, working with the elements and with time.