Construction Business & Concrete: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Construction Business & Concrete

Q: What is responsible for more than twice the carbon dioxide emissions of airplanes or freighters?
A: Concrete production.

Concrete is one of the most unsustainable materials with which construction business contractors work. “Concrete is literally everywhere you look above ground and below ground…everywhere the world works, lives, and plays,” says Kris Moorman. Making the use of concrete more environmentally friendly has been investigated for many years because concrete production generates so much carbon dioxide. The only viable solution appeared to be recycling concrete waste and wastewater, and that was about it.

In 2021, we shared a new method of producing concrete being developed by MIT that would reduce Co2 by 60%. The scientists said it might be possible to reduce the ratio of calcium to silica during manufacturing. A 1:5 ratio worked best vs. the commonly used 1:7 ratio. It was one of several studies on reducing Co2 emissions in concrete manufacturing. No solution seemed realistic enough to put into action.

Volumetric Concrete Mixers Promote Construction Business Efficiencies

A more practical approach has been the use of volumetric concrete mixers that pour the exact amount needed. Less waste saves money, saves the planet, and makes sense. And you’ll no longer have to deal with leftover concrete.

Volumetric mixers also conserve water. Cleaning a traditional drum concrete mixer uses about 200 gallons of water. Volumetric mixer-cleaning uses 8-10 gallons of water. This is a huge water-saving difference.

Another big plus is volumetric mixers can produce concrete onsite. No more traveling back and forth, wasting time and fuel to retrieve mixed concrete. And you can adjust the concrete formula real-time when necessary.

“Sustainability” is no longer a fancy word used by unrealistic environmentalists. It’s a very real way to improve the quality of our lives and save money. Sustainable project deliverables should be explored by your construction business every day. Every project.

The use of solar energy is one of the ways we can better-utilize what we already have – sun power – and save electricity and money. If you’re seeking construction business alliances with solar building permit applicants, let us know. We’ll show you how Construction Monitor analytics generate solar and more business opportunities every week.

Contact Construction Monitor.

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