Title: Sustainable concrete materials

Author(s): Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia

Publication: CCAA

Volume:

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 8 pages

Keywords: advanced buidling material, social foundation, a thriving economy, serviceable facilities, environmental responsibility

DOI:

Date: 4/1/2010

Abstract:
Concrete is the most commonly used construction material in the world today. Concrete's constituent materials occur naturally in all parts of the world. In Australia it is manufactured from local materials using local skills and expertise. Concrete has been used in the construction of durable bridges, roads, water supply structures, medical facilities, housing and commercial buildings to give people a social foundation, a thriving economy and serviceable facilities for many years. Throughout history, the use of concrete as a building material has contributed significantly to the built environment. Enduring examples of various forms of concrete can be found as far back as the early Egyptian civilisation. Significant building remnants still exist from the Roman civilisation, which used concretes made from naturally occurring volcanic ash pozzolans, mixed with water, sand and stone. Then, as now, concrete has been used in the construction of durable bridges, roads, water supply, hospitals, churches, houses and commercial buildings, to give people a social foundation, a thriving economy, and serviceable facilities for many years. In the modern era, the properties of concrete were refined in the late 1800s, with the introduction of a patented manufacturing process for portland cement. While it has ancient roots, concrete, as we know it today, is a modern and highly advanced building material. In the last 150 years, concrete has become one of the most widely used building materials on earth. Such a ubiquitous form of construction has a significant impact on sustainability – a concept that needs to be clearly understood. Environmental responsibility is certainly part of it, but any form of construction must also be socially beneficial and economically viable. A building material, to be truly sustainable, must address all three of these criteria. When considered within this framework, it becomes clear that concrete construction delivers a very strong sustainability performance.