With everything “going green” these days, researchers have shown an interest recently in trying to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint.
About Concrete
Concrete is the most widespread man made material. Every year, over 1 cubic yard of concrete is made for every person on the planet. The US alone annually uses approximately 300 million cubic yards of concrete.
How Concrete is Made
Concrete is usually made from a combination of cement, rock, sand and water and is heated within a large kiln. This process emits greenhouse gases via fossil fuels and the chemical reaction is called calcination.
University of Washington Methodology
A research team at UW has developed a methodology to reduce the carbon footprint associated with the production of concrete. You can read more about it here. Bottom line: if the right balance between cost and carbon reduction can be found, everybody wins.
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Main photo by U.S. Army Environmental Command