Concrete is the most commonly used building material on the planet and most of the infrastructure for modern civilization has been built using concrete in some form or other. Concrete has a low embodied energy and a significant number of inherent characteristics which contribute to sustainability of concrete structures.

Being a leading manufacturer of ‘green cement’ in India, JSW Cement is a stellar example of a sustainable business practice. Its products that are produced using high quality glassy Slag from the JSW Steel plants are heat resistant, unyielding to chemicals, relatively impermeable and better adept at withstanding corrosion. The concept of sustainable development includes the ability to build the facilities and structures needed today without compromising resource supply for the future. Any future attempt to address global warming issues will be partly centred on the way buildings are designed and operated to be energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable. As a company committed to its social responsibility JSW Cement completely believes in the concept of sustainable development. It ensures that everything its employees do is sustainable, be it at work or home.

Slag Cement And Environment

Slag cement works synergistically with Portland cement to increase strength, reduce permeability, improve resistance to chemical attack and inhibit rebar corrosion. Slag cement is used almost in all concrete applications. The manufacture of Slag cement not only lessens the burden on landfills, but also reduces air emissions at steel plants through the granulation process. Use of Slag cement in concrete reduces the environmental impact of concrete by;

  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating about 0.85 ton of CO2 for each ton of Portland cement replaced.
  • Diminishing energy consumption, since a ton of Slag cement requires nearly 90% less energy to produce than a ton of Portland cement.
  • Curtailing the “urban heat island” effect by making concrete lighter in colour, enabling it to reflect more light and cooling structures and pavements with exposed concrete.

Every ton of additional cementitious material used in concrete mixes saves about 1.4 ton of raw materials. The use of upto 50% Slag can reduce embodied CO2 by over 40%, compared with a traditional 100% Ordinary Portland Cement concrete mix. Durability, economy, energy efficiency, fire resistance, low maintenance costs, recycling, and thermal mass all add to the sustainability of concrete in our built environment and at the end of the usage phase, concrete can easily be recycled.

JSW Cement is continuously making efforts to look for ways to reduce the dependency on the natural raw material. In order to do so, it enhances the mix optimisation with the introduction of alternative, recycled materials to replace the use of natural resources.

A few meaningful efforts to achieve sustainability in construction

The Blast Furnace Slag products have been highly rated for their superior environmental performance and have been included as “designated procurement items” (products that contribute to reducing environmental impact) for public works under the Law Concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-Friendly Goods and Services by the State and Other Entities (Green Purchasing Law) which took effect in 2001. Based on Law on Promoting Green Purchasing, national and local governments are actively working for procurement of these materials, and they are being utilized effectively as materials for civil engineering works in all parts of Japan. The products of Granulated Slag are highly regarded as environment friendly and durable materials that can protect the environment by limiting the exploitation of natural resources and reduce the amount of energy consumed in the mining of natural resources and helps to achieve sustainability in construction.

In order to improve the sustainability of all concrete structures, there is a need to understand the interactive effect of the many issues from ‘cradle to grave’ in the design phase, during construction and end-of-life and, most importantly, the energy savings achievable during the usage stage. Therefore, to help build environmentally sustainable structures, JSW Cement’s operations are driven by considerations of durability and environmentally friendly.

Being the most important infrastructure players and major consumers of natural resources on the earth, the concrete industry will have to be reshaped through the adoption of environment friendly technologies. JSW Cement urges owners, developers, designers, and contractors to use concrete wisely. By doing this they can contribute to sustainability.