The amount of traditional poured concrete needed to cover the same area as a single pallet of 8mm thick Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats (GCCMs) would require two 17 tonne mixing trucks. Material savings on a typical construction project can be up to 95% when using GCCMs compared to traditional methods.
For decades we have seen cement mixers stationed at construction sites around the world. The processes of mixing the powder to create concrete has been crucial in engineering projects of all shapes and sizes. While many may simply accept this as the standard way to produce concrete, there is an alternative which has some significant environmental benefits compared to the traditional method.
The harmful environmental nature of cement may not be known to all but the figures in a 2018 Chatham House report detail just that. As the world’s most widely used construction material, it is a major source of carbon dioxide. Cement contributes around 8 per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions.
GCCMs arrive on-site on a roll ready to install. Poured or sprayed concrete needs to be mixed on-site, and this means having a mixing machine running for long periods. Not only is this damaging for the environment because of the cement needed, but also the actual mixing machine is contributing harmful emissions such as CO2 while it is running.
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