Mit Reveals The Eco-Costs of Concrete

by Shira Golding

Mit Reveals The Eco-Costs of Concrete

New research out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides proof that concrete is a green building material. MIT, via its Concrete Sustainability Hub, released preliminary findings this week in conjunction with new standards for life-cycle assessment (LCA) modeling. The study quantifies the eco-costs of paving and building materials.

According to research, there is the potential savings associated with fuel efficiency of vehicles driving on concrete roads over asphalt. As a result, these savings could equate to lower life-cycle carbon emissions. Additionally, Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) homes have been shown to provide 20 percent energy savings in the form of heating, cooling and ventilation as compared to conventional wood-framed construction. The findings also note, “there are measurable differences between alternative construction systems, and that the thermal mass of concrete can provide energy savings over a life cycle of 75 years. Life cycle assessment provides a rigorous means of testing and demonstrates that concrete buildings can offer reductions in carbon emissions compared to alternative construction materials.”

“This groundbreaking research highlights the dramatic cost savings for builders, homeowners, municipal governments and taxpayers. The preliminary research shows that not only do concrete homes, buildings and roads last longer, but using these materials provides energy savings and a reduction of carbon emissions,” said Gilberto Perez, President of CEMEX USA, in a statement.

MIT will release a follow up study next year to provide further analysis of the costs of building and paving materials. Its Concrete Sustainability Hub is a collaboration of MIT’s School of Engineering, MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning and MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

More Eco Builder Articles