Our world today is very invested in being “green” and “environmentally sustainable”. What does that actually mean? And why should you be concerned if concrete is a “sustainable building material” when building your residential home?
The dictionary defines “sustainable” as: able to be used without being used up or destroyed; able to last for a very long time. The good news is, concrete is a friend of the environment in all stages of its lifespan, from raw material production to demolition, making it a natural choice for sustainable home construction.
As to the “why” you should care if concrete is a sustainable building material. Because building residential homes has a direct impact on our environment. Our world is running out of resources, and it is the only responsible thing to do: care about preserving and not wasting the resources we have on Earth; after all, it’s the only home we ALL share!
Considering the amount of concrete produced in the overall percent of the buildings in the world, environmental sustainability is not always the first thing that comes to mind when we consider this building material! We think: fast, less expensive, solid, strong; but, honestly, does “sustainability” come to mind? Probably not, but it should.
Surprisingly, this building material actually provides a number of significant environmental benefits.
- Unlike wood or metal, concrete doesn’t rust, won’t burn, and does not rot. Its durability provides a longer lifespan.
- It’s recyclable! Bet you haven’t ever thought of that! Concrete can be crushed and recycled into aggregate for use in pavement and roads. This reduces the need for aggregate mining in the future. This keeps concrete out of landfills, too.
- Not only is it recyclable, but ready mix concrete manufacturing reuses and reduces waste from power plants (such as fly ash), and steel plants (such as blast furnace slag). In doing so, it keeps those materials out of landfills.
- Concrete has a low life-cycle cost; it consumes minimum materials and energy and requires little to no maintenance throughout its service in residential home buildings.
- When you buy concrete locally, such as using Sensible Concrete for your residential home anywhere in East Tennessee, you are also increasing the sustainability of your environment! How?? It eliminates the cost and energy consumption that goes into transporting the concrete to your building site. You also re-energize your community by keeping your money local and investing with a local company.
In short: by using Sensible Concrete in building your residential home, you will use a sustainable building material that contributes to conserving energy, you will save money in labor and construction costs, and you will increase the longevity of your home with a poured concrete foundation and walls, thereby increasing its value. And in the process, you are lessening the harmful environmental impact, and making the world around you a little bit better. Every little bit counts!
