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Sustainability in Construction

The most positive impact we have on the environment is by developing products that make construction - and the manufacture of construction materials such as concrete - more energy efficient and less wasteful.

We deliver products that help our customers reduce their carbon footprint and extend the life of their projects, well in excess of carbon input from our products.

 

GCP’s Vision for a Sustainable Future

Our Products 

We combine technology and chemistry expertise to develop products that enable our customers to achieve their environmental goals. GCP is driving sustainability in two key construction segments: 

Specialty Construction Chemicals solutions that: 

  • Lower energy consumption in cement production 
  • Lower CO2 emissions by the use of reduced cement content in concrete.
  • Use real-time batch data to deliver more sustainable concrete 
  • Keep returned concrete out of landfills
Alt Play

 
Sustainable concrete and cement
 
Sustainable Structural Concrete Projects
 
Sustainable Building Envelope Projects

Learn more about our latest sustainability advances for cement and concrete producers.

Specialty Building Materials that: 

  • Increase energy efficiency by controlling air flow in and out of structures 
  • Improve the longevity and durability of structures, thus reducing waste 

Professional Guidance for Greater Sustainability 

Our Technical Services team advises builders on specifying and installing products that maximize energy savings and lower heating and cooling costs. Our team also works closely with cement and concrete producers, providing advice on optimizing the use and reuse of materials and selecting admixtures that improve both sustainability and durability.

 

VERIFI® in-transit concrete management system

Our VERIFI® in-transit concrete management system is the first-ever technology to address inefficiencies in the concrete delivery process by actively managing concrete from batch plant to job site. 

Using real-time batch data, the VERIFI® system cuts down on the number of rejected concrete batches and optimises the use of cement and water to help achieve sustainability goals. The system encompasses in-truck sensors, automated injection hoses, and data intelligence. It collects real-time data about the concrete properties as the concrete batch travels to the job site, and automatically adds exactly the right amount of water and admixture, as needed and if necessary, to keep and deliver the concrete as it was specified. 

This results in higher quality concrete being delivered to the job site, with far fewer rejected concrete loads, less water and admixtures consumed, and less fuel and time wasted driving back and forth with replacement batches of concrete. 

Water Reducers

GCP produces water reducers, including our ADVA®, CONCERA® and MIRA® products. These admixtures disperse cement particles evenly in a concrete mixture, leading to more efficient use of cement, and improvement in workability during placement. With these dispersive properties, less water and cement are needed in concrete mixes, while still achieving the required compressive and flexural strengths for the project.

TAVERO® grinding aids & OPTEVA® quality improvers

Our TAVERO® grinding aids and OPTEVA® quality improvers lower the amount of energy needed to produce cement. Quality improvers can reduce carbon emissions by reducing the amount of clinker in cement, while grinding aids increase mill output while saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions.  

Specialty Building Material

Many of our flagship Specialty Building Material brands, including a wide selection of MONOKOTE® fireproofing, PREPRUFE® waterproofing and ICE & WATER SHIELD® roofing underlayments have Declare labels and/or are Red List Free. In addition, using GCP products with Environmental Product Declarations enables builders to gain one LEED point. Choosing MONOKOTE® fireproofing products, for example, can potentially help projects achieve LEED 2009 and V4 credits under the Building Design, Construction, and Interior Design and Construction rating systems.