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GreenTips
The environmental impact of concrete is often a
point for debate. On one hand, the manufacture of cement involves high
amounts of energy, which means it has a high embodied energy. On the
other hand, because of concrete’s high thermal mass, it can allow the
building fabric to absorb heat from the sun or other sources and retain
it, releasing it later in the day and therefore reducing energy demands.
Good thermal mass is an essential feature of good quality passive solar
design. Further information can be found via the ConcreteThinker
website or the Sustainable Concrete website
The use of cements with a recycled content can
significantly reduce the embodied energy, with various products
containing a recycled content of anywhere between 10 and 70%. The
recycled content used in cement is typically pulverised fly ash or other
industrial waste material.
Consideration should also be given to the use of
crushed recycled aggregate. A number of companies supply recycled
aggregate, but care needs to be taken to ensure that chemicals in the
materials do not affect the performance of the concrete.
In all cases aggregates and sand should be
sourced from the closest location available to reduce energy required
for transportation.
