The Sustainability Benefits of Concrete in Construction
One of the oldest and most widely used of all building and construction materials, there are many advantages to the use of concrete in construction, including its contribution to sustainability. This is an often overlooked aspect of the use in concrete in building and construction projects, though it’s one which deserves greater attention as we increasingly look for ways to make our homes and commercial buildings more sustainable places to live and work.
An Abundance of Limestone
The most prominent material in concrete is limestone, one of the most abundant materials on the earth, which makes concrete a highly resource-efficient building material. But concrete isn’t just resource-efficient because of our planet’s abundance of limestone, it’s also resource-efficient because of its inherent durability and longevity.
The longer something lasts, the less often it needs to be replaced, and in that regard it’s hard to go past concrete as a sustainable building material that delivers strength and durability, and also requires minimal maintenance. This is one of the reasons why it is used so extensively in large-scale construction and civil engineering projects.
Durability and Longevity
Concrete is a durable construction material that withstands the elements much more effectively than other materials, as it doesn’t, for example, rust like metal or rot or burn like wood, plus it also withstands strong winds more efficiently than other materials. That results in concrete structures lasting as much as as three times longer than structures made from steel, aluminium or timber.
Due to the adverse weather which regularly affects regions like Rockhampton and Central Queensland, concrete structures are generally a better choice when building in the local area as they offer better weather resistant capabilities.
Energy efficiency
Due to the thermal mass of concrete, commercial and residential buildings with concrete walls, floors and slabs tend to be more energy efficient as they absorb and retain heat effectively. This means less energy is required for home conditioning to keep the interior cool and comfortable in summer and warm and cosy in winter. If you’re looking to build an energy efficient home or workplace, concrete is a top choice.
What’s more, concrete is also more energy-efficient to produce when compared to other common construction materials, as 1.4 GJ/t of energy is used to produce concrete compared to 2GJ/t for wood and a whopping 30 GJ/t for steel. In comparison to alternative construction materials, like timber, steel and aluminium, concrete outperforms all in terms of performance, effectiveness, strength durability, thermal mass and price. Due to the benefits that concrete delivers as a construction material, it’s no wonder concrete is used as extensively as it is.
As a leading provider of concreting services in the Rockhampton region, Yeppoon Concrete Pumping is the team to call for all commercial and residential concreting projects. We’re always on hand to discuss the requirements of your project, so give us a call on 0418 794 305. We are open 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm Saturday.