So What's Wrong with Cement?

Cement, the major component of concrete, is the most abundant manufactured material in the world and one of the world's most commonly used building materials. About 5 billion cubic metres of concrete are used each year; annual production is about two tonnes per person on the planet. It is used to form the foundation of virtually every building. It is also used for footpaths, curbs, building blocks, mortar for masonry, and numerous other construction components.

One little known fact is that the manufacture of concrete is highly energy and resource intensive and it is a significant contributor to global warming. Every tonne of cement requires 3 to 6 million BTUs (British thermal units) and 1.7 tonnes of raw materials, mostly limestone. To produce cement the limestone, clay, shale and other materials are heated to 1450°C using fossil fuels. The manufacturing process is a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions, in addition to nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and particulate matter.  Concrete manufacturing is one of the most significant sources of CO² emissions from manufacturing sources (as is the production of steel and aluminium). Up to one tonne of CO² is emitted per tonne of concrete, with about half due to the use of fossil fuels and the remainder due to the chemical reaction that takes place as cement is setting.

Worldwide cement production is estimated to produce between 5 and 7% of all carbon dioxide emissions from all human activity.

Additional environmental impacts of concrete include those associated with mining the materials used in the production of concrete, dust produced during manufacture, the effects of excavating quarries, the energy requirements for the extraction and transportation of the materials and the excavation required on construction sites all over the world – these impacts are very similar to the mining of gypsum (as used in plasterboard).

SALA Homes try to reduce the amount of cement and gypsum used in our range of houses. Recent testing of a new footing product means that customers are now able to build their SALA home without the use of any cement or gypsum (used in the manufacture of plasterboard). The new system is cost effective, quick to install and requires no excavation. Talk to us about building your house without concrete.

To learn more about the environmental impacts of cement click here.