The construction industry is turning green nowadays, and this refreshing change of attitude is thanks to a consumer market that wants to pursue a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. The consumers-turned-environmentalists desire to live and work in buildings and facilities that use only the greenest materials, and constructed without harming the environment in any way
Now that the green building movement is gaining momentum, the construction industry is abuzz with environmental concerns, such as energy efficiency, lesser environmental harm, sustainability, to name just a few. For building designers and facility managers, this means that existing construction methodologies, products and materials must all undergo very deep scrutiny – from paint formulations to concrete finishes – to find out if they meet the standards of the environment-responsible.
Energy Conservation and Concrete Finishes
The dull gray slab of cement is shaded eco-friendly green because of its unique ability to help in managing the cooling and heating systems in the facility, making it a very energy-efficient material.
Concrete finishes have a remarkable capacity to absorb and retain heat when needed. In the summer months when heat permeates building interiors, they act as insulators, absorbing heat and keeping the area cool. In nighttime or winter, they also regulate the room temperature to achieve comfortable warmth, using the same heat absorbed earlier.
Adding to its value as an energy-saving application, concrete finishes often come in natural earth tones and hues. The lighter coloring helps the surfaces reflect more light and cooling the surroundings, further lessening the energy and lighting costs in the facility.
Green Concrete Finishes
When it comes to lessening environmental harm, eco-friendly building designers already give concrete finishes the highest scores in green building design and construction. After all, this material is sourced from the earth itself, being made from cement, which in turn is made from crushed limestone.
Limestone extracted from the earth’s bowels is abundant everywhere on the planet. This means limestone does not require the use of harmful materials for its extraction, processing, production and transport. Furthermore, green builders appreciate that cement is friendly to recycling – often using by-products such as ash in its composition, which are normally just thrown away as useless waste.
Sustainable Applications Using Green Concrete Finishes
Many eco-friendly building materials work because they lessen the harm to the environment during construction and application. But when it comes to longevity and endurance, concrete finishes are by far the best choices available for green builders.
Concrete is not only environment-friendly and energy-efficient, it can also last for long periods of time, impervious to physical damages that other materials are very vulnerable to. It is also resistant to decays, and can withstand physical damages brought by fire or water. When building materials have longer life spans, the facility incurs lesser replacement costs in the long run.
Sustainability is particularly important to modern consumers, who are increasingly demanding creative methodologies and materials with which to build their homes and work places. Architects, engineers and facility managers find concrete a very reliable material to satisfy the environmental concerns of consumers.
