Foundations and Concrete

The Foundation and Concrete:

Today the majority of new buildings are built on top of a solid concrete slab with concrete perimeter footings or just concrete footings with a raised floor system, (crawlspace design). Concrete is a major consumer of our precious resources. There are many options to these approaches that have less impact on our environment and increase the greenness of the project.

One popular greener concrete technique is using a Coal Fly Ash Mix. Coal Fly Ash is a waste product from coal-fired power plants and can be used as a substitute for up to 60% of the Portland cement in a concrete mixture. Another option is using form boards or tubes made from recycled plastics.

Concrete at times requires additives to speed up the chemical reaction or slow down the curing. Many companies offer curing agents that are derived more sustainably and contain low VOC part per million. Look under the vendors tag for the section on concrete products, contractors and mixing plants for the options that will best fit.

As a client, remember you do have a voice, ask your local concrete mixing company or contractor if they use bio-diesel or engage in other green building practices, and then encourage them to do so. Call around until you find the right one.