With increases in natural disasters and global temperature, many people are worried about greenhouse gas emissions. This is true in California, where a number of programs to reduce the creation of greenhouse gases have been implemented. Even so, many organizations voice concerns over the amount of greenhouse gases – especially carbon dioxide – produced by manufacturing concrete. What is the concrete industry doing to address the situation?
Making Concrete Releases Gases?
Concrete itself does not produce carbon dioxide. One of the main ingredients, cement, requires a cooking phase where it is heated to extremely high temperatures. When heated, the limestone in the cement emits carbon dioxide as chemical reactions take place. These chemical reactions produce about 60% of the carbon dioxide produced during the cement mixing process. Another significant portion comes from the fuels burned to heat the cement.
Resolving the Greenhouse Gas Issue
Several of the concrete manufacturing plants in California now use devices that capture much of the greenhouse gas released during the cooking phase. Further developments with these devices may help to reduce 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the industry by 2040. Updates are also underway for manufacturers to use natural gas only for making cement, since it is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. This will certainly help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced.
Another help is concrete itself. A slab of concrete is capable of absorbing nearly 60% of the carbon dioxide released during its manufacture. If companies reduce the amount emitted during manufacture, concrete in the world could possibly become an asset in the battle against greenhouse gases. To help even further, many manufacturers use recycled concrete, which further reduces the greenhouse gases created during concrete construction.
Concrete Is Here to Stay
Known for its reliability, strength, endurance, and ease of use, concrete is a staple in the world’s construction projects. Even today, most roads, bridges, dams, and buildings are made of concrete. It often lasts a very long time, allowing many generations to use the same structures without replacing the concrete. Nevertheless, one of the best ways to make your concrete last is protecting it with epoxy coatings. An epoxy floor over your concrete takes the pounding of foot or vehicle traffic so your concrete doesn’t. It resists UV radiation, gouges, scrapes, and what’s more, it looks fabulous doing it! Epoxy floors are customizable to your design preferences with many options to increase safety and aesthetics.
To find out more about epoxy coatings for your concrete floors, give West Coast Epoxy a call. You can also schedule a free consultation with our online form.