The Conco Companies’ Martinez facility was recently honored as a recipient of the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District’s Pollution Prevention Award. All private businesses and organizations located within the Central San’s service area are eligible to enter the annual event. Award recipients are recognized for going above and beyond in their business practices in regard to pollution prevention and environmental protection.
The steps the Martinez facility took that helped them to receive the award include using recycled water to wash their trucks. The facility is also pretreating the water before it enters into the storm drain with an innovative sand-oil interceptor and has installed a new sawdust collector. Another thing the facility has done is to install solar panels and made the change to LED lights to help reduce the amount of electricity they are using. Conco is honored to receive this award as we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our operations throughout our entire organization, and whenever possible we invest in and implement “green” technologies. We understand that these decisions not only make good business sense but can make a difference in the environment as well as to the health and wellbeing of our workforce, other tradespeople and the general public. Please visit the Conco website to learn more about one of the largest commercial concrete contractors in the country. We have an exceptional team of talented professionals that know to create innovative, cost-effective solutions for the most challenging jobs. Contact the experts before you start your next project. Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We have built our reputation with superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects and highways. The Conco Companies have four regional offices to serve California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado.
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The term “Life-cycle assessment” (LCA) is defined by Wikipedia as a cradle to grave analysis used to assess the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life. This includes raw material extraction and materials processing as well as the manufacturing, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling of the product.
The demand for green building projects is motivated by owners and developers as well as the marketplace as they offer reduced operating costs, improved health benefits, and perform better environmentally throughout the life-cycle of the building. The EPA states that green buildings should reduce the environmental impact on human health and the natural environment by:
When sustainable criteria are considered early in the planning and design stages, it can offer a greater cost-efficiency as well as influence design. ConstructConnect reports on a recent study done for the USGBC by Booz Allen Hamilton that states, “Green construction spending to increase from $150.6 billion in 2015 to $224.4 billion in 2018.” The study also suggests that, “between 2015 and 2018, green construction will generate $303.4 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP); support 3.9 million jobs, and provide $268.4 billion in labor earnings.” Typically green products are made from reused or recycled-content or from renewable resources. The EPA explains that the product should promote clean air and reduce the emissions of VOC (volatile organic compounds) and formaldehyde. They should not contain CFCs, HCFCs or other toxic substances and need to promote practices that conserve energy and water. Furthermore, they should offer good durability and ease of maintenance, and aid in reducing a building’s overall operating cost. The Conco Companies are one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western U.S. and offer a wide range of quality services and products. While we tackle projects both big and small, our experience includes providing the complete concrete package for the Levi’s Stadium along with other notable projects. We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life-cycle_assessment archive.epa.gov/greenbuilding/web/html/about.html constructconnect.com/blog/green-construction/green-sustainable-building-future/ As one of the largest commercial concrete contractors in the nation, The Conco Companies are always looking to improve the concrete services and products we bring to our customers. To this end, we work closely with contractors, developers, and engineers on various concrete methodologies in an effort to develop the best standards and practices in the industry today.
Since cement is one of the primary producers of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, Conco is also interested in the efforts of researchers who are trying to develop cements that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One recent study that caught our eye was published in the Construction and Building Materials journal by a team of engineers from Oregon State University, Purdue University and Solidia Technologies. The group’s findings show a “great potential for a type of cement that gains strength through carbonation, rather than the use of water.” This new cement appears to not only help address global warming but also produces a more durable concrete. Researchers report that a concrete mix using this type of cement is better able to resist common de-icing salts that are responsible for reducing the lifespan of our roads. Carbonated calcium silicate-based cement (CCSC) offers not only the benefit of protecting against damage from sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, but will help to save money spent on road maintenance. It is estimated that the damage from de-icing salts costs about $1 million a mile to fix and that the typical 40-year lifespan of a road’s surface is reduced to only 8 to 10 years. Studies like these are important to the cement industry, which is committed to working toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers report that the first uses of CCSC will be in pre-cast concrete products and other uses will follow. Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development. We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. Source: phys.org/news/2016-04-cement-environmental.html |
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