The Pros And Cons Of Concrete

Concrete is the primary material in construction industry. It consists of cement, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, water and other admixtures. Generally Ordinary Portland cement is used in concreting but the production of OPC causes a huge amount of carbon emission and also it uses a huge amount of non-renewable natural resources. The concrete construction practice in use is considered as unsustainable because it consumes a huge quantity of sand, stone and water and 2.5 billion tons of OPC per year.

A major component of concrete is cement, which has its own environmental and social impacts and contributes largely to those of concrete.

The cement industry is one of the primary producers of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. Concrete causes damage to the most fertile layer of the earth, the topsoil. Concrete is used to create hard surfaces which contribute to surface runoff that may cause soil erosion, water pollution and flooding. Conversely, concrete is one of the most powerful tools for proper flood control, by means of damming, diversion, and deflection of flood waters, mud flows, and the Concrete dust released by building demolition and natural disasters can be a major source of dangerous air pollution. The presence of some substances in concrete, including useful and unwanted additives, can cause health concerns due to toxicity and radioactivity.

it is required in huge amount and this are obtained by mining rivers which effects the river by lowering the stream bottom, Depletion of sand in the stream bed and along coastal areas causes the deepening of rivers and estuaries, and the enlargement of river mouths and coastal inlets. It may also lead to saline-water intrusion from the nearby sea. The effect of mining is compounded by the effect of sea level rise. Any volume of sand exported from streambeds and coastal areas is a loss to the