Strength. Performance. Passion. Ecomax. Environmentally Friendlier Concrete. Australia

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1 Strength. Performance. Passion. Ecomax Environmentally Friendlier Concrete Australia

2 Holcim s commitment to the Environment As a leading supplier in the cement, concrete and aggregates industry, Holcim is committed to building a sustainable future. We believe that as well as complying with the law, we should be progressively reducing the environmental impact of our operations, especially the amount of energy and water we consume and the amount of waste and carbon dioxide emissions we generate. Holcim and our Environment Concrete is the most dominant construction material on earth, with approximately 5 billion tonnes of concrete used annually worldwide requiring some 1.5 billion tonnes of cement. As a result, this contributes between 3-5% of C02 emissions and uses in excess of 7 billion GJ of energy 1. Holcim s commitment to greater ecological sustainability involves improving the energy efficiency of cement production, reducing greenhouse emissions, increasing the use of industrial by-products in concrete and applying state of the art concrete technology so that we can produce environmentally friendly, high quality concrete called Ecomax. We extract aggregates and sand, which requires that we progressively restore the environment during the quarry s life, with final rehabilitation after quarrying has finished. Our other activities include manufacturing concrete, concrete pipe and other pre-cast concrete products. These, with quarrying, can potentially impact on the environment through the release of process water and stormwater, spills of liquids such as petroleum products, stack and dust emissions as well as noise and ground vibrations. We have specific management processes to minimise the possibility of impacts occurring on the environment. 1 Dr Swee Lian Mak, CSIRO Sustainable Materials Engineering, Where are construction materials headed in the new age of ecological sustainability.

3 Reducing Embodied Energy of Concrete Embodied energy of concrete is the total amount of energy required to produce concrete, including the energy consumed in extraction of the raw materials, processing, manufacture and transport. The unique design of Ecomax is such that it is characterised by a significantly reduced embodied energy value compared to normal concrete as shown in the graph. A lower value of embodied energy means that less of our community s natural resources are used to produce Ecomax concrete, less pollution, particularly C0 2 is created and therefore, this concrete is much more sensitive to our environment and its future sustainability. Dr. Sanjayan Monash University. Damian.

4 What is Ecomax? A new generation of Holcim concrete products designed to maximise energy efficiencies, conserve the community s natural resources and enhance ecological sustainability for now and the future. How Holcim does it Ecomax has a significantly reduced embodied energy achieved by implementation of the following initiatives; Holcim buys cement from Australia s largest cement producer, Cement Australia. As a member of the Greenhouse Challenge program and the Cement Industry Federation (CIF), Cement Australia s approach to climate and energy is guided by an industry-wide commitment to improving sustainability. Since 1990, the baseline year of the Kyoto Protocol, Cement Australia has contributed a 14% reduction in greenhouse emissions per tonne of cement clinker produced, through investment in more energy efficient plant and equipment and energy efficiency programs. Cement Australia is also actively involved in promoting lower greenhouse emitting cement substitutes into the market, as well as using alternative thermal fuels from waste products such as vehicle tyres, used oil and spent solvents instead of using natural coal or gas. Use of these substitute fuels can result in lowered greenhouse emissions and major improvements in resources efficiency. Stuart Ritchie Environmental Manager Cement Australia. Ground Granulated Iron Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) is a by-product of iron and steel making. By-products as alternative cementitious materials Efficient use is made of supplementary cementitious materials in concrete such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) which is obtained by quenching molten iron slag from a blast furnace in water to produce a glassy, granular product that is then ground into a fine powder. When used in concrete, these materials impart valuable properties, which include enhanced workability, strength and durability.

5 Admixtures Advanced polymer based admixture technology combined with the expertise of our Holcim Technical Services have led to the unique Holcim Ecomax concrete mix design. Holcim Ecomax maximises the use of recycled material and combines specialist admixtures to ensure the resultant concrete quality and integrity remain uncompromised. Recycled Water Holcim has a recycled water management system in all of its concrete plants, which allows the water used in the concrete production process to be reused, therefore minimising demand on the mains water supply. By-products manufactured into sand The production of coarse aggregate for concrete produces tonnes of smaller fraction rock, which is essentially a by-product of the rock crushing process at the quarries. Holcim reprocesses this rock to produce a manufactured sand that is used in Holcim Ecomax concrete as an alternative to natural sand. In fact, Holcim Ecomax maximises the use of all quarry by-products, again without compromising the quality of the concrete. Applications House Slabs, Footpaths, Driveways Warehouse and Car Park Paving Many other Applications To order, simply call your nearest service centre and state the strength grade, the preferred maximum stone size and the required slump. Should you have any technical queries regarding the properties or performance of Holcim Ecomax, do not hesitate to contact your Holcim representative for further advice.

6 Holcim (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN Metro 18 Brodie Hall Drive Perth WA 6102 Australia Phone South West Dodson Road Bunbury WA 6230 Australia Phone Holcim (Australia) Pty Ltd HAU_ECOMAXNQA4BROCHURE_