STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS 49
CONCRETE AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Chris Stanley of the Concrete Block Association explains where concrete can fit into a circular economy, and help to boost sustainable housebuilding.
AFTER THEIR INITIAL LIFESPAN HAS EXPIRED, CONCRETE BLOCKS CAN FIND A SECOND LIFE IN GROUNDWORKS, PILING MATS AND LANDSCAPING
rightly so. The phrase is perhaps not used widely enough, but the concept is essen- tial to transforming our methods and practices. Taking environmental concerns into
T
account is no longer optional – they are as important as capital costs in propelling the housebuilding industry forward. Whether new build or renovation, flexibility is key, as we should be building to allow room for future retrofit, not future demolition.
alk of the circular economy has penetrated every part of the construction industry recently, and
Particularly for manufacturers of building products, the circular economic model is a proven way to achieve greater sustainability. Reducing, reusing, recycling, and recovering energy from products at end-of-life and beyond is now central to the business strategies of our members at the Concrete Block Association (CBA). Masonry structures are well-known to be robust – a fundamental property for whole-life performance. Yet, masonry also possesses unique attributes which
minimise CO2 emissions. Concrete blocks can considerably minimise embodied CO2
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