Sustainable construction: a commitment to the environment
At Arquitectura y Concreto we look every day for different alternatives to optimize time and resources and to become ever more environmentally friendly. To do so, we created a Research and Innovation lab where we experiment with, develop and implement solutions that allow us to reduce our impact.
Here we tell you about the latest advances we've achieved in this lab thanks to the work of the Research and Innovation team.
Concrete with 100% reused aggregates
Making concrete requires 4 main elements: cement, water, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate.
Producing it involves extracting raw materials, generating polluting emissions from the dump trucks that carry the material to the site. In fact, the site itself produces a lot of waste that must be removed in more vehicles, which also generate polluting gases.
To reduce these impacts, we created a mix with 100% recycled aggregate from concrete, bricks and ceramic waste found on site, to replace the fine and coarse aggregates. This way, we eliminate two loaded trips in polluting vehicles and make use of the waste produced.
This process was tested at six different sites, in temporary pours, and we achieved the strength specified by each design. We successfully concluded the research and will very soon use this type of concrete with recycled materials in more of our projects.
Subgrade improvement
At the Ciudad Fabricato site, located in Bello, Antioquia, a lot of concrete construction and demolition waste was generated, so we identified the need to reuse that waste to reduce the environmental impact.
Our team, with the support of the specialized lab Suelos y Pavimentos, improved the soil's bearing capacity with layers of processed, crushed concrete.
The project consisted of a subgrade improvement (the layer that supports pavement structures), processing material produced on the same site, reducing emissions and material purchase costs. Always in compliance with INVIAS and Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá regulations.
This project generated 9% savings in material purchases, so it will begin to be implemented at Ciudad Fabricato and replicated at all Arquitectura y Concreto sites with high demolition and construction volumes.
Stamped concrete
This is a way of working concrete widely used in Europe and the United States that avoids extracting material and makes the most of concrete's qualities. Besides providing an aesthetic finish, it is easy to handle and, unlike pavers, stands the test of time.
At Viva Envigado, for example, we used 1,000 m2 of stamped concrete with natural shapes. Likewise, at Duville (an apartment project in Medellín) we used colored concrete. Our goal is to keep using these kinds of new technologies that are friendly to the environment and to the end customers of our projects.
As builders, the environment is one of our main concerns, which is why we remain committed to researching and implementing new alternatives that mitigate our impact on our surroundings.