Sustainable Construction

Sustainable construction products


As the next step our commitment to sustainability, Lehigh Hanson Canada (LHC) has developed EcoCem®PLC (a Portland-limestone cement) and InterCem®. These innovative new products provide excellent performance with a lower environmental impact than normal Type GU (General Use)/Type I/II Portland Cement. Protecting the climate, while lowering emissions for cleaner air is important to LHC. Research is underway to develop new products that will positively impact the environment.

Pervious Concrete

Pervious concrete has a high permeability that allows water to flow through easily, reducing the rate and quantity of stormwater runoff. Pervious concrete will preserve natural rainwater absorption characteristics by using soil, plants, trees and surface treatments to capture rain where it falls. An example of effective use may be seen at Fort Langley Community Hall.

ICF Construction

ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) homes are a breakthrough in concrete technology for the residential construction industry. ICFs consist of stay-in-place polystyrene forms that are initially used to form the fresh concrete, then become the insulation for the walls of the building. An ICF home offers lower energy bills, and a healthier living environment with unlimited design possibilities.

High Volume SCM Concrete

Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) such as fly ash and slag are recycled industrial by-products. Professionally engineered concrete mix designs can effectively utilize SCMs to reduce the consumption of raw materials. SCMs are widely used as replacements for cement in a concrete mix.

Heat Island Reduction

Light coloured concrete surfaces and pavers have high albedo (solar reflectance) reducing heat island effect. Designing entrance plazas, walkways and parking lots with light decorative concrete pavement saves energy by reducing the demand for air conditioning and improving air quality. Energy savings also result from decreased night lighting requirements.

Rigid Concrete Pavement

Rigid Concrete Pavement (RCP) outperforms flexible asphalt pavement in both economy and safety and has less impact on the environment. Compared to asphalt, Rigid Concrete Pavement lasts longer and requires less maintenance over its lifetime. Its rigid nature provides a stable surface that will not rut, washboard or shove, minimizing the potential for potholes.

RCP translates into safer highways that require less maintenance, with less disruption for the traveling public and commercial truckers. Extensive studies by the National Research Council of Canada confirm previous findings: fully loaded tractor-trailers consume less fuel travelling on concrete pavements than on asphalt pavements over a wide temperature range. When compared to asphalt, under actual road test conditions, reductions in fuel consumption on concrete pavement ranged from 0.8 to 6.9 percent. CO2 and other harmful emissions are also reduced. Click here for more information.

Sustainable Construction Design

Thermal Mass

Thermal Mass is a property that enables building materials to absorb, store, and later release significant amounts of heat. Buildings constructed of concrete and masonry have a unique energy-saving advantage because of their inherent thermal mass. These materials absorb energy slowly and hold it for much longer periods of time than do less massive materials. This delays and reduces heat transfer through a thermal mass building component, leading to three important results. Click here for more information.

Design for Longevity and Durability

Concrete building design results in a structure with a long service life. Building shells can be left in place when renovating, and interior components can be reused. In new structures, spans can be longer, and the added strength of concrete allows for design flexibility – further increasing the opportunity for reuse over time. It can also extend the lifecycle of existing buildings while conserving resources and reducing the environmental impacts of new buildings. A concrete building can use less material and create less waste over its life.