Sustainable construction

Concrete’s characteristics such as durability and local availability make it a sustainable, affordable building material. High performance concretes like ultra highstrength concrete has a proven durability record even in the most extreme marine environments of offshore wind farms. Additionally, the thermal mass of concrete can be used to reduce energy consumption in buildings. Concrete is also a recyclable material and can be used again in new concrete as well as material for road construction. HeidelbergCement supports the CSI report on recycling with an ultimate goal of “zero landfill of concrete”. Through research in the Netherlands, we are finding ways not only to increase recycling rates but also to increase recycling into higher-value applications.

Sustainable building materials
To further boost the sustainability of our products, our research is concentrating on developing composite cements, replacing clinker content with alternative raw materials. We develop new products to meet the market’s growing sustainability-related needs. For example, our photocatalytic cement TioCem^® helps break down airborne pollutants. TermoCem^® increases thermal conductivity, making geothermal projects more effective. Other special cements make it possible to substantially accelerate the repair of roads and airport runways. Over the last few years, we have also expanded our Life Cycle Analysis expertise, which we now systematically use during product development. We plan to further intensify all these research and development activities in the future.

Support of Green Building Councils worldwide
Throughout the world, HeidelbergCement and its subsidiaries support Green Building Councils in their efforts to develop certification systems for sustainable construction and to make the design, construction and operation of buildings more sustainable. In 2010, HeidelbergCement joined the Green Building Councils in Romania, Sweden and Poland, and co-founded the Green Building Council in Norway.