Sustainable Products
EcoCem
As the next step our commitment to sustainability, Lehigh Cement has developed EcoCemPLC (a Portland-limestone cement) and InterCem. These innovative new products provide excellent performance with a lower environmental impact than normal Type GU portland cement. Protecting the climate while lowering emissions for cleaner air is important to Lehigh Cement, and we continue our research in finding 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 storm water runoff. Pervious concrete will preserve natural rainwater absorption characteristics by optimizing the use of 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 the latest 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 and end up being the insulation for the walls of the building. An ICF home offers lower energy bills, and a healthier living environment with an unlimited list of design possibilities.
High Volume SCM Concrete
Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) such as fly ash and slag are recycled industrial by-products. They are widely used as replacements for cement in a concrete mix. Professionally engineered concrete mix designs can effectively utilize SCMs to reduce the consumption of new materials.
 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 outperforms flexible asphalt pavement with economic and safety benefits, 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. This 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 showing fully loaded tractor-trailers consume less fuel traveling 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. Please click here for more information.
Sustainable 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. For more information please click here.
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.
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