Concrete: The Lifecycle Of Concrete

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Concrete is one of the world’s most popular construction materials. Some six billion tonnes of concrete is produced each year in the world, making it approximately one ton of concrete for every human being per year (Fardis, 2012, p.116). However, the lifecycle of concrete does not make it the most sustainable building material at the moment. Because of limited natural resources, concerns over green house gases, and landfill problems, concrete production is being cut-back, or at least cannot be increased to keep up with population increase. In this essay, I will look at what makes concrete an unsustainable material and possible solutions to make concrete a more sustainable material. Sustainability According to the Office of Environment and Heritage, sustainability is defined as “meeting human needs in the present while preserving the environment so that these needs can also be met in the indefinite future” . There are three components of sustainability: economy, environment, and social (OEH, 2014). To meet the goal of sustainable development, one must understand the many interconnections between environment, society and the economy. Despite the importance of all three components, the environment is probably the most focused issue of sustainability around the world right now, and it is what will be in focus for this essay in relation to the lifecycle of concrete. It is not to say that economic and social issues are less important, but merely that they are outside our attention. production of material In order to estimate the environmental impact of a construction material, it is necessary to consider all stages construction in the life of the material (Fig.1). Many “green” construction claims and strategies are now based on a ... ... middle of paper ... ...te; rely on natural energy flows; understand the limitations of design; and seek constant improvement by the sharing of knowledge. (http://www.mcdonough.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Hannover-Principles-1992.pdf) Conclusion How can we reduce the environmental impact of the concrete industry? The long-term approach to lower the environmental impact of using any material is to reduce its rate of consumption. However the focus should not just be on the material impacts on sustainability, but designers, planners and government officials are equally responsible for making sustainable design choices. The lifetime of a structure is influenced by cultural and market forces. When a structure no longer serves an important function (not necessarily the function for which it was constructed), or is not aesthetically pleasing, it is likely to be destructed. So materials and

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