Eco-Friendly Precast Concrete: Our Eco-Responsible Commitment.
In the construction industry, concrete is often criticized for its energy-intensive use of cement powder. At Patio Drummond, we are aware of these environmental challenges and believe in the responsibility to contribute to the education of our partners and clients.
Environmental Transparency: A Clear Objective
The absence of an environmental consumption index in our field motivates us to simplify and make information about our products accessible. Our greenhouse gas emissions, mainly linked to category 4 emissions (indirect emissions generated by raw materials like cement), are at the heart of our reflections.
Concrete Steps for Reduced Environmental Impact
1. Origin or Raw Materials
We favor local partnerships to reduce our carbon footprint, giving preference to suppliers physically close to our factory. This minimizes the necessary transportation of raw materials.
2. Alternative Materials: Recycled Sand
Recycled sand from foundry residues finds a second life with us, contributing to a circular economy. In the production of our charcoal-colored products, we replace natural sand with foundry sand, ensuring the revaluation of foundry sand before it ends up in landfills.
3. Cementitious Additions to Reduce Cement Usage
Integrating cementitious additions into our concrete recipe reduces the consumption of cement powder. These additions are mixed with cement during the grinding process, helping us increase the physical properties of concrete and reduce the amount of cement powder used, creating more environmentally friendly products.
4. Optimization of Concrete Mixes
The optimization of our concrete mixes happens right here at our Drummondville factory, guided by our team. The beauty of precast concrete is that we can have tight control over the materials we use, ensuring that our mixes are efficient, safe, and as environmentally friendly as possible. Our thorough tests allow us to achieve this while respecting (and even exceeding) the standards for the strength and application of concrete products.
5. CarbiCrete Technology – A Carbon-Negative Block
We are the world’s first to manufacture cement-free building blocks with CarbiCrete technology, aiming to sustain our commitment to the environment and our planet. Not only does the ECO building block not emit CO2 into the air, but it also captures it. That’s why we say it’s carbon-negative.
A Quebec innovation, this process reduces the amount of emissions associated with cement production by 2 kg and permanently eliminates 1 kg of CO2 per building block. When we talk about eco-friendly precast concrete, this is the best example!
Next Step: Transparency Index
We are currently working on creating an environmental transparency index. In the coming months, each product will be assessed, providing our customers with a simple way to make informed choices for the environment.
At Patio Drummond, our goal is to make the industry more sustainable and enable our customers to choose the environment by selecting products aligned with their values.
Stay tuned for updates on our eco-responsible journey!