Concrete Thinking for A Sustainable World

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Transcript Concrete Thinking for A Sustainable World

Concrete Thinking for a
Sustainable World
Concrete’s Durability and EnergyEfficiency Help the Environment
Our Discussion
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A Snapshot of Sustainable Development
How Concrete Creates Sustainability
Environmentally-Responsible
Manufacturing
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A Comparison with other Building Materials
Population vs. Consumption
Population
Energy Consumption
United States
Other G7 countries
Rest of the world
Energy Demand of Buildings
18%
Commercial Bldgs
21%
Residential Bldgs
26%
Transportation
35%
Industry
9.75%
United States
Other G7 countries
Rest of the world
US buildings use
almost 10% of the
world’s energy!
A Snapshot of
Sustainable Development
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Sustainable Development – The ability to build
the facilities and structures we need today
without depleting resources for the future
A Balance of
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Environmental issues
Economic issues
Social and safety issues
Long-term view
Do not create “environmental debt”
“Triple Bottom Line”
Local
Environment
Social
Today
Tomorrow
Global
Regional
Economic
Green Building
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Government, business quickly adapting
green building methods
Demonstrate the efficient use of energy,
water and materials
Limit impact on outdoor environment
Provide a healthier indoor environment
LEED Certification
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Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED)
Building design and development
certification program to measure:
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Sustainability
Waste efficiency
Energy and atmosphere
Materials and resources
Innovation and design
Developing as “Green Building” standard
Concrete’s Enduring Benefits
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Helps architects, engineers and builders
balance environmental responsibility with
development needs
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The most widely used building material on the planet
Easy-to-use and versatile
Abundant and readily available
The Difference Between
Concrete and Cement
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Cement is an ingredient of concrete
Concrete includes cement, water, sand,
and gravel or crushed stone
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Cement is the “glue” that
holds the mix together
Concrete Components
Cement comprises only a portion
(about 10 to 12%) of concrete
Other materials are
locally sourced and
require very little
energy to obtain
Cement
Water
Air
Sand
And
Gravel
A “Cradle to Grave” Perspective
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View strengths of product from life-cycle perspective
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Material acquisition
Manufacture
Construction
Operational performance
Reuse and recycling
The long-term benefits of concrete compare
favorably to initial resource requirements
House Life Cycle
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Occupancy
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Heating
and cooling
Everyday
activities
Replacement
items
• Roof
• Major appliances
• Siding, windows
Material
Manufacturing
Construction
Occupancy
Maintenance
Demolition
Disposal
The Life-Cycle of
Building Materials
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Embodied energy for
materials acquisition,
manufacturing and
construction accounts
for < 2% of total energy
Occupant energy-use
accounts for 98% of lifecycle energy
Three Primary
Environmental Benefits
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Durability
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Energy-efficiency
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Does not rust, rot or burn
Long-term environmental benefits greatly outweigh
environmental cost of manufacture
Not subject to temperature swings and leakage,
reducing heating and cooling costs
Recycling
High Performance Concrete Walls
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Reduce typical heating
and cooling costs by
up to 25%
Why they work
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High insulation value
Low infiltration
Thermal mass
Three Primary
Environmental Benefits
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Durability
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Energy-efficiency
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Does not rust, rot or burn
Long-term environmental benefits greatly
outweigh environmental cost of manufacture
Not subject to temperature swings and
leakage, reducing heating and cooling costs
Recycling
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Concrete can contain recycled materials,
reducing industrial by-products
Concrete at Work:
A Case Study
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Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA:
Exhibition Hall hosts more than 250k annual
visitors
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Concrete used for nearly 90% of facility
Pavilion buried on three sides – Concrete eliminates
large temperature swings
• Energy costs are more than 20% below industry standards
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Referred to as a “1,000-year building”
One of the Top Ten Green Projects of 2003
• LEED certified
Environmentally
Responsible Manufacturing
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Priorities
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Minimize emissions and waste
Improve energy efficiency
Ensure product quality
Emissions Reduction
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Cement industry was one of the first
to address emissions
33% reduction of CO2 since 1975
Voluntarily commitment to reduce emissions
10% from 1990 baseline levels by 2020
Active participants in EPA’s Climate Wise
program, Climate VISION
U.S. efforts have been incorporated globally
Focus of Emissions Reduction
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Incorporate new technologies
Improve product formulation
Develop new applications
Improving Product Formulation
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Two major ingredients driving sustainability
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Limestone – New guidelines produce annual benefits
• Reduction in raw materials use of 1.6 million tons
• Reduction in energy use of over 11.8 trillion BTUs
• Reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of over 2.5 million tons
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Cement kiln dust
• 8 million tons, more than 75% of available CKD
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Ensures product quality
while creating efficiencies
Improving Product Formulation
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Depending on application,
many materials can be used
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Foundry sand
Mill scale
Fly ash
Lime sludge
Material Acquisition
A Comparison with
Other Building Materials
Material Acquisition Study
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Reputable research from Canadian wood
industry
Compared three building materials
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Wood (logging)
Steel (iron ore mining)
Concrete (aggregate quarrying)
Materials Acquisition Phase
Weighing the environmental impact of resource extraction
Extent
Concrete
Low to
moderate
Iron Ore
Wood
Intensity
Moderate to
high
Duration
Significance
Moderate
Low
Very low to low High
High
Very low
High to very
high
Variable,
complex
High
Moderate
Impact Index
Concrete
Steel
Wood
1.50
2.25
2.5
Report Highlights
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Concrete has a lower impact than
that of other construction materials
Resource depletion is not an issue
for cement and concrete
Impacts associated with extraction
are the greatest for wood
Our Commitment to
Environmental Stewardship
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Building upon our legacy
A focus on continuous improvement
Innovation and education