How Is Concrete Production Sustainable?
As the world grows more eco-conscious, it is becoming increasingly important that construction introduces sustainable practices, utilising sustainable materials such as environmentally friendly concrete.
Concrete plays a crucial role in the construction industry, but with the mining of primary ingredients and their transportation, the environmental impact of the material is often called into question.
However, 2 Brothers Concrete & Pumping is dedicated to providing a sustainable and environmentally friendly concrete service across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Dorset, Surrey, Sussex and the Isle of Wight. We achieve this through our mix-on-site service.
In this blog, we share how our volumetric concrete production is sustainable.
The Basics of Concrete Production
Concrete production is a fairly basic process, as it simply requires mixing water, aggregates and cement in a large drum. It can either be done at a batching plant (a large static column with a spout at the bottom to pour the design mixes into drum mixers or directly into customer's trucks) or in a volumetric truck (a mobile mixer that carries all the ingredients and a drum to mix them together).
While there might be advantages to using concrete from a batching plant, this production method isn't as environmentally friendly as mix-on-site concrete because it requires more fossil fuel to transfer the concrete from the plant to the site.
Volumetric trucks are a more environmentally friendly concrete production method because they reduce the amount of fossil fuel used in transportation.
Sustainable Benefits of Volumetric Concrete Trucks
Reduction in fuel consumption isn't the only reason volumetric trucks are more sustainable than conventional batching plants.
Reduced Waste
With concrete being made on-site, our operators can ensure they mix the exact quantity needed for your project. Whether working on a small domestic DIY project or a larger commercial project, our experts will be able to provide further guidance on how much concrete you will need.
Producing environmentally friendly concrete at the project site allows for more to be made if needed, but by mixing the ingredients to an operator's estimations, you are reducing the chance of excess concrete being made.
This means you aren't left with concrete you don't need, so won't waste materials. Nor will you be left with waste concrete that needs to be disposed of.
Precise Mixing
Additionally, producing concrete on-site means that operators can adjust mix specifications for the project so that the mix can be utilised, rather than needing to dispose of the batch and start again.
Again, this reduces waste and ensures optimal usage of each material to match the project.
Lower Carbon Footprint
As we have mentioned several times above, the use of volumetric trucks produces environmentally friendly concrete because there isn't as much transportation needed in the process.
Concrete is batched at the project site and pumped from the truck to the area needed, so no middleman is moving the concrete from the batching plant to the site.
This means that by using the mix-on-site production method, you decrease the emissions of your project.
Energy Efficiency
On-site mixing has a reduced energy consumption when compared to batching plants. This means not only does it burn fewer fossil fuels in transportation, but it also reduces the usage of fossil fuels in the process of mixing the ingredients together.
Sustainable Practices in Concrete Pump Hire
Adding concrete pumping can further improve the sustainability of the concrete production and placement process.
This is because the pumps facilitate easy movement of the concrete from the volumetric mixers to the work site, reducing labour and improving efficiency.
Pumps also minimise waste as they ensure precise placement of the concrete, so there are no spillages or concrete in the wrong area, reducing accidental waste.
Environmentally Friendly Concrete From 2 Brothers
At 2 Brothers Concrete & Pumping, we are proud to be offering a sustainable service and environmentally friendly concrete.
We often provide a free site survey, which allows our specialists to assess your project site and your project needs so that we can provide the exact amount and specification of concrete suited. This means we can reduce waste concrete and ensure the right materials are used at the right time.
Our mix-on-site service reduces our carbon footprint as we don't rely on fossil fuels to transport concrete to a project after production.
Speak to our experts about our sustainable practices and how our concrete production is environmentally friendly. Call us on 01489 552737 or complete our online contact form to request a callback.
