There are numerous facts regarding the negative environmental consequences of concrete on the global ecosystem. The most critical impacts include:
Results to environmental degradation
Concrete can disrupt the natural habitat of the fauna and flora due to a significant amount of dust generated and high noise levels made. Dust can contribute to health complications to the breathing systems of organisms. Also, when people fail to cover the extraction areas, they pose a risk to both animals and people. Unfortunately, animals cannot manage to adapt to environmental changes quickly. Such a case leads to a significant reduction of biodiversity.
Reduced availability of land
Use of concrete impacts soil because of its acidity. Therefore, it makes it impractical to use the land for agricultural purposes. In particular high acidity in the soil prevents the production of farm products and makes people experience health complications since acids infiltrate the water bodies.
Water pollution
Typically, water is one of the basic needs for animals and people. However, most people are not careful regarding how they dispose of wastewater. For instance, when people wash equipment using water to allow wastewater into the drain, it finally gets into the nearby water bodies. Eventually, it impacts aquatic life because of the high pH level.
People use cement as a binding product in concrete, and if you analyze it further, you can realize that it contributes to approximately 10 percent mass of concrete. In reality production of cement is regarded as one of the main components which contributes to greenhouse gases. Therefore, when cement is produced in high quantities, it contributes to significant amounts of carbon dioxide released into the environment. EPA released one of their studies where they revealed that 54 percent of the emissions occur from the chemical process of producing cement that entails converting limestone elements into CO2 and Calcium oxide. The other 46 percent of the emissions happen due to the combustion of oil and coal.
You should avoid the traditional concrete to use more eco-friendly and better concrete sources, which has limited adverse effects on the environment. Fortunately, different researchers have done their best to reduce the impacts of concrete production and use. The guide below can help you to know more regarding the findings.
Eco-friendly alternatives to concrete
A rising interest in sustainable development has motivated different stakeholders in the construction industry to use environmentally friendly materials. Such a case has become possible because people have realized that they should preserve the environment. Below are the core alternatives you can consider:
1. Novacem
It is one of the sustainable alternatives developed to ensure that people have a more environmentally friendly environment. The new kind of concrete can effectively absorb a significant amount of carbon dioxide while it hardens. An examination of the Novacem indicates that it has been designed using various raw materials, including magnesium sulfate, that need limited heating. Novacem has revealed that every ton of cement will absorb a maximum amount of 0.6 tons of carbon dioxide. Although the product has incredible benefits, it is rare to find it.
2.Quikrete’s Green mix concrete
Several countries worldwide use green concrete, which has unique features since waste forms its raw materials. The production process of this concrete uses materials obtained from viable green materials except for the non-sustainable resources. The researchers from the faculty of engineering at the University of Malaysia are the ones who managed to devise the idea of green mix concrete. In particular, the eco-friendly concentrate is produced using raw materials such as aluminum fibers, recycled concrete aggregates, and fly ash.
Om the Other hand Concrete can be Eco-friendly.
Since concrete is associated with substantial amounts of carbon emissions, it can be hazardous and toxic to flora and fauna. Although we have unearthed that concrete might be eco-friendly, you should reduce pollution from these components. Therefore, we have the responsibility of taking the challenge to reduce pollution by making sure that we devise and use alternative eco-friendly methods. For instance, we should recycle waste concrete to use it in other valuable areas such as road fillings. Also, we should measure the quantity of concrete to avoid using excess that results in wastage. In summation, we should critically consider the benefit of aquatic life to care for them by preventing the idea of releasing toxic wastes into water bodies.
At San Bernardino Concrete, we fully understand the effects concrete may cause, but we make sure that our services are in control to avoid negative concrete effects in any ways. Our clients entrust our work with confidence for what we deliver is only the best that will be worth for long. Give us a call at (909) 435-0788 and youo will be assisted with our friendly operators. You can also get a FREE quote.