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Sustainability of Concrete


Sustainability is generally defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The three pillars of sustainability are environment, economy, and society. The carbon footprint of concrete can be lowered by using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash, slag cement, and silica fume; by using higher-strength concrete; and through the use of alternative fuels during the cement manufacturing process. A sustainable structure is also a durable and resilient structure—long lasting and able to resist natural forces with little damage, and when damaged, easily restored for use. Use of concrete applications can also provide “green” benefits—for example, pervious concrete results in pavements, sidewalks, and parking areas that drain directly to the subsurface, eliminating the need for drainage structures, underground piping, retention basins (saving materials and lower carbon footprint), and direct discharge into rivers and lakes (an environmental benefit).

Practice oriented papers and articles ON SUSTAINABILITY OF CONCRETE

NIBS Convenes Built Environment Leaders for Social Equity Roundtable

Publication: Concrete International
Date: 12/1/2021

Lightning Protection Systems for Concrete Structures

Publication: Concrete International
Date: 11/1/2021

Products & Practice Spotlight: Soundly Sustainable

Publication: Concrete International
Date: 11/1/2021

Is Lightweight Concrete a Viable Product?

Publication: Concrete International
Date: 6/1/2021

Structural Plain Concrete Gets a Fresh Look

Publication: Concrete International
Date: 5/1/2021

Effect of Mineral Additions on The Self-Healing Ability of Cementitious Materials

Publication: Special Publication
Date: 4/22/2021

Performance of Eco-Friendly One-Part Alkali-Activated Self-Consolidated Concrete with Multi-Activators

Publication: Special Publication
Date: 4/22/2021

Unintended Consequences of the Global Reduction in Clinker-to-Cement Ratio

Publication: Special Publication
Date: 4/22/2021

Durability Issues of One-Part Alkali-Activated Mortars in Aggressive Environments

Publication: Special Publication
Date: 4/22/2021

Numerical modeling of FRCM composites for the seismic retrofitting of existing concrete structures

Publication: Special Publication
Date: 2/1/2021

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