We are continuously working to improve on the properties of cement and concrete that make it a key component of sustainable construction and to develop innovative materials that advance the sustainability of the structures made with them.

Led by our Global Center for Technology and Innovation in Switzerland, our laboratories work to develop more efficient and sustainable products and processes that meet customer needs for more sustainable building materials. As a result of our research and development efforts, we produce a range of innovative products that can be used to design and construct more energy efficient, sustainable, and accessible buildings.

The following product innovations help to improve the sustainability of buildings and other structures:

Insulating concrete forms, made primarily from polystyrene and filled with concrete to help keep heat out in hot climates and to retain it in cold weather.

Self-compacting concrete, which has a dense formulation, improves the strength, durability, and life of a structure, while reducing labor costs, energy use, and health risks during construction and maintenance costs throughout its life.

Pervious concrete, which allows rainwater to filter through, reduces flooding and heat concentration by up to 4°C, and helps to prevent skidding on wet roads.

Rapid-setting concrete, which contains up to 80% fly ash, is a low-carbon alternative to conventional concrete. Concrete with high acid resistance is robust and durable for uses such as cooling towers or for storing silage on livestock farms.

Antibacterial concrete, which controls bacteria growth, is used to help maintain clean environments in structures such as hospitals, laboratories, and farms.

We are exploring ways to combine our existing products to deliver new solutions that meet client needs. We are looking beyond the traditional technical properties of concrete to develop “next generation” ready-mix concrete products that incorporate labor considerations such as time savings, health, and safety, as well as other environmental impacts such as noise reduction. These innovations will enable us to make new products and solutions more accessible to our clients.

In addition, we are evaluating and improving the life-cycle analysis of our products to enhance our understanding of and ultimately reduce their environmental footprint. A specific example is the LCA of concrete pavements vs. asphalt pavements that demonstrate the reduction of CO2 emissions during the life utility of the pavement by several factors, for example: less maintenance, less power consumption in illumination during its use, and less fuel consumption due the reduction or rolling resistance.

Our building materials, ready-mix concrete in particular, can help customers reduce the environmental impacts of their buildings and meet the requirements of existing certifications, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the United States, Haute Qualité Environnementale (HQE) in France, Energy Pass in Germany, and the Comisión Nacional de Vivienda (CONAVI) in Mexico.

Our research and development efforts >>

Case: Seeking Innovations for more sustainable construction >>

While approximately 40 percent of most countries’ energy consumption comes from buildings—more than either transport or industry—research shows that currently 84 percent of a building’s energy use during its lifespan comes from demolition and construction and, once construction is complete, the heating, electricity, ventilation, and hot water used in its operations.

By working collaboratively with others in the construction industry to make buildings more energy efficient, we can contribute significantly to a reduction in global energy use. Toward this end, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) member companies are working collectively, through the WBCSD’s Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EEB) project. The EEB’s vision is for a future in which buildings use zero net energy, and the project’s mandate is to develop a roadmap that outlines, from a business perspective, the critical steps needed to transform buildings’ energy consumption.

The EEB initiative >>

When separated from the other building materials, old concrete can be crushed and re-used as aggregates. This is a costly and energy intensive process, however, that is dependent on local building codes.

We are continuing to explore ways to recycle concrete, however, and to incorporate it into our products and promote its use in sustainable construction where feasible and allowed by law. As part of the WBCSD Cement Sustainability Initiative, the cement industry has been looking to recycling concrete as a component of sustainable business practice.

In July 2009, the CSI published Recycling Concrete in an effort to promote concrete recycling and support the long-term “zero landfill” goal for concrete. The findings underline the many challenges of the practice, including cost and the fact that the cement and demolition industries are in different sectors.

The benefits of recycling concrete include reduced waste, landfill, or dumping and associated site degradation; substitution for virgin resources; reduced transportation and disposal costs; and the creation of new employment opportunities in the recycling industry that would not otherwise exist.

Our concrete recycling effort is currently conducted on a case-by-case basis, depending on client needs and local laws and regulations. We will continue to seek new ways to expand these efforts and develop new products made from recycled concrete.

The rapid increase in the world’s population and the high GDP in developing countries will demand huge infrastructure investments. To cope with this expansion and, at the same time, deal with its potential impact on the environment demands new thinking and new solutions. We must work not in “silos” but through integrated solutions based on systems thinking. And while technology can help, our society must employ systems that are both cross-sectoral and multiorganizational. We see huge business opportunity—but also a great political challenge—in this approach. Business should get involved because it has a mindset for sustainability and an understanding of its interconnectedness. It also has a combination of technical, financial, and managerial expertise. Business can deliver competitive and effective solutions.

With this antecedent, the WBCSD created the “Urban Infrastructure Initiative” with the vision to create “A world where cities provide a sustainable environment to live, work, and play”. The WBCSD’s objective for the project is to play the following roles:

Trusted advisor on urban sustainability issues. To lend our unique combination of private-sector expertise and understanding, which complements the objectives of urban planning, in particular through cost-effective implementation and return on investment.

Transformer. To create a vision and roadmap on sustainable urban development based on combined expertise and a benefits-based approach that addresses the interconnected sustainability challenges of cities through a methodology for integrating cross-sectoral solutions.

Activator. To apply research and analysis, business processes, interaction, and dialogue to address urban sustainability challenges by getting business involved in strategic urban planning.