Eco-friendly precast concrete: our eco-responsible commitment. Here, we explore sustainable solutions and make informed choices.
In the construction industry, the precast concrete sector is often criticized for its energy-intensive consumption of cement powder. At Patio Drummond, aware of these environmental challenges, we believe in the responsibility to contribute to educating our partners and customers.
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 related to category 4 emissions (indirect emissions generated by raw materials such as cement), are at the heart of our considerations.
Concrete actions for reduced environmental impact
1. Origin of raw materials
We favor local partnerships to reduce our carbon footprint, prioritizing suppliers physically close to our factory. This limits the transportation required for raw materials.
2. Alternative materials: recycled sand
Recycled sand, derived from foundry residues, finds a second life with us, thus participating in a circular economy. In the manufacturing of our charcoal-colored products, we replace natural sand with sand from the foundry process. This ensures the valorization of foundry sand before it ends up in landfills.
3. Cementitious additions to reduce the amount of cement used
The integration of cementitious additions into our concrete recipe reduces the consumption of cement powder. Cementitious additions are integrated into the cement when it is ground and prepared for our recipe. Not only do cementitious additions help us increase the physical properties of concrete, but they also help us reduce the amount of cement powder used in our mix, thus creating more environmentally friendly products.
4. Optimization of concrete mixes
The optimization of our concrete mixes is done here, at our Drummondville factory and by our team. The beauty of precast concrete is that we can ensure very tight control over the materials we use. We thus ensure that our mixes are efficient, safe, and as eco-responsible as possible. Our in-depth tests allow us to achieve all this in addition to meeting (and even exceeding) the resistance and application standards for concrete products.
5. CarbiCrete technology - a decarbonized block
We are the first in the world to manufacture cement-free building blocks using CarbiCrete technology. All this, with the aim of perpetuating our involvement and commitment to the environment and our planet. Not only does the ECO building block not emit CO2 into the air, it sequesters it. This is why we say it is decarbonized. 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 ecological 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 evaluated, offering our customers a simple way to make informed choices for the environment. At Patio Drummond, our wish is to make the industry more sustainable and to allow our customers to choose the environment by choosing products that align with their values. Stay tuned for updates on our eco-responsible approach!
