WHY USE CONCRETE?

“Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world and it is environmentally sustainable. With its 100 year service life, it conserves resources by reducing the need for reconstruction and its recyclable.”

-2010 Concrete Today, “Written in Stone”

www.concretesustainable.org

What are the social values concrete structures contribute to a sustainable future?

1. Conserve Resources: Concrete structures throughout their lifecycle are efficient users of energy, water, land and other resources.
2. Safer Living: Concrete structures provide a superior level of user safety, protection and peace of mind.
3. Lower Cost: Concrete structures provide economic advantage both from a total cost of ownership perspective and from a greater local content benefit to communities.
4. Protect Communities: Concrete structures offer greater disaster resistance, protecting essential community services and business continuity.
5. Durability: Concrete structures outlast the useful lives of other structures with minimal maintenance and repair.
6. Reduce Waste: Concrete structures over their lifecycle produce a reduced level of byproducts (including CO2), use the byproducts of other activities and can ultimately be recycled themselves.
7. Beauty: Concrete structures can be designed to create esthetic quality for both users and their surroundings.
8. Connecting People: Concrete structures provide the essential links (roads, ports, utility infrastructures, etc.) that enable society to function safely and efficiently, and prosper financially.

April 2010, Concrete Today