What are The Impacts of Cement Concrete on Environments?

Concrete Vs Environment

What are The Impacts of Cement Concrete on Environments?

Cement, a fine, soft substance that resembles powder, is a key component of concrete. In Concrete the main binding material is cement which is used for binding fine sand with coarse aggregates. There are several different kinds of cement, but the most popular is "Portland cement," which is made by combining clinker with smaller amounts of other ingredients like gypsum and powdered limestone. Most the sector's greenhouse gas emissions, including energy intensity and process emissions, come from the manufacturing of clinker, which is the primary ingredient in cement.

One of the three main producers of carbon dioxide, a significant greenhouse gas, together with the energy and transportation sectors, is the cement sector. Every time cement is manufactured, one ton of CO2 is typically released into the environment. Combustion and calcination processes, which produce around 40% and 60% of the greenhouse gases, respectively, are to blame for the emissions.

Given that cement makes up a small portion of concrete's ingredients, it is predicted that a ton of concrete emits between 100 and 200 kg of CO2. The globe uses more than 10 billion tons of concrete annually. Large-scale concrete usage will continue in the years to come, making it even more important to reduce CO2 emissions from the industry.

Conversely, concrete can be used to redirect, dam, and regulate flooding. Concrete is used to produce hard surfaces that contribute to surface runoff, which can cause substantial soil erosion, water pollution, and flooding. Building demolition and natural calamities can produce concrete dust, which is a significant source of hazardous air pollution. Although less so than asphalt, concrete still contributes to the urban heat island effect.