Standard, Precast, Concrete Walls
by TreeHugger on 12.14.04
By engineering, manufacturing, and installing prefab concrete walls, Standard Precast Walls can erect the frame of a building in a just a day, producing green buildings that will stand the test of time. Strong, energy-efficient, and cost-effective the construction of Standard Precast Walls (SPW) helps create environmentally sound structures that also offer strength and durability. As green structures, they are up to 50% more energy efficient than regular walls and can also be far more resistant to the elements of nature such as moisture, mold, rot, termites, rodents, and even fire and hurricanes. And SPWs use recycled material in the concrete mix and because there is very little on-site waste, all walls qualify as green building products. ::Standard Precast Walls [by MO]
This isn't green? Styrofoam and concrete, thinking of the embodied energy in concrete the CO2 production of concrete and the fact that all polymeric styrofoams are made of oils or offgas noxious materials, I'm a gass that this made it on treehugger. Shameful.
The creation of concrete accounts for almost 10% of the world's CO2 output - greatly increasing our risks to and from the environment.
http://www.ecosmart.ca/enviro_cement.cfm
http://www.rics.org.uk/Builtenvironment/Buildingmaterials/Cementitiousconcreteandmineralboundmaterials/Cementitiousmaterialsandbinders/Lafarge+committed+to+WWF+target+for+reducing+CO2+emissions.htm
I'm building a complete, poured, concrete home. CO2 is good for plants & since I live in the country,
this should be a cozy relationship.
Concrete has made improvements in being "Green" The cement used is only a very small percentage of the total material. The percentage can be reduced by adding by-products of other materials such a slag. Some chemicals can be added to reduce the required amount of water. After the life of the concrete building is over, the concrete can be ground up and used again in a new concrete product, thus recycling 100% of the concrete product. This is a perfect example of how concrete is a great cradle to cradle material for any green project.
By using insulated concrete panels in building a single family, condo, commercial or other structures the energy need of that structure can go down around 80%. I would assume that even though there is a Co2 admission the energy saving should be considered as a balancing act, if not a improvement to affects on nature for years to come.