Concrete Thinking for a

Sustainable World
Concretes Durability and EnergyEfficiency Help the Environment

Our Discussion

A Snapshot of Sustainable Development

How Concrete Creates Sustainability
Environmentally-Responsible
Manufacturing

A Comparison with other Building Materials

Population vs. Consumption

Population
Consumption

Energy

United States
Other G7 countries
Rest of the world

Energy Demand of Buildings

18%

United States
Other G7 countries
Rest of the world

Commercial Bldgs

21%

Residential Bldgs

26%

Transportation

35%

Industry

9.75%

US buildings use
almost 10% of the worlds energy!

A Snapshot of
Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development The ability to build the facilities and

structures we need today without depleting resources for the
future
A Balance of

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

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

Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design (LEED)
Building design and development
certification program to measure:

Sustainability
Waste efficiency
Energy and atmosphere
Materials and resources
Innovation and design

Developing as Green Building standard

Concretes Enduring Benefits

Helps architects, engineers and builders

balance environmental responsibility with
development needs

The most widely used building material on the planet

Easy-to-use and versatile
Abundant and readily available

The Difference Between

Concrete and Cement

Cement is an ingredient of concrete

Concrete includes cement, water, sand,
and gravel or crushed stone

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

View strengths of product from life-cycle perspective

Material acquisition
Manufacture
Construction
Operational performance
Reuse and recycling

The long-term benefits of concrete compare favorably to

initial resource requirements

House Life Cycle

Occupancy

Material
Manufacturing

Heating
and cooling
Everyday activities Construction
Replacement
Occupancy
items
Roof
Major appliances
Siding, windows

Maintenance
Demolition
Disposal

The Life-Cycle of
Building Materials

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

Durability

Energy-efficiency

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

Reduce typical heating

and cooling costs by
up to 25%
Why they work

High insulation value

Low infiltration
Thermal mass

Three Primary
Environmental Benefits

Durability

Energy-efficiency

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

Concrete can contain recycled materials,

reducing industrial by-products

Concrete at Work:
A Case Study

Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA: Exhibition Hall

hosts more than 250k annual visitors

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

Referred to as a 1,000-year building

One of the Top Ten Green Projects of 2003
LEED certified

Environmentally
Responsible Manufacturing

Priorities

Minimize emissions and waste

Improve energy efficiency
Ensure product quality

Emissions Reduction

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 EPAs Climate Wise
program, Climate VISION
U.S. efforts have been incorporated globally

Focus of Emissions Reduction

Incorporate new technologies
Improve product formulation
Develop new applications

Improving Product Formulation

Two major ingredients driving sustainability

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

Cement kiln dust

8 million tons, more than 75% of available CKD

Ensures product quality

while creating efficiencies

Improving Product Formulation

Depending on application,
many materials can be used

Foundry sand
Mill scale
Fly ash
Lime sludge

Material Acquisition
A Comparison with
Other Building Materials

Material Acquisition Study

Reputable research from Canadian wood

industry
Compared three building materials

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
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
Building upon our legacy
A focus on continuous improvement
Innovation and education