iCrete Cementing Its Place in NY High-Rises

July 30, 2008

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A new kind of green concrete is gaining traction in some of Manhattan’s high-rises. iCrete touts a 40 percent reduction in GHG emissions, advanced mix designs, and higher performance and quality control; branding itself as the highest strength concrete ever poured in the history of New York.

Less than a year since its introduction, the new concrete has been used in projects such as Freedom Tower, Frank Gehry’s Beekman Tower, 11 Times Square and more than 30 construction sites in the Greater New York Metropolitan Area.

Another company working to make its concrete environmentally friendly is Ceratech which makes its concrete using fly ash, a waste stream product from coal fired power plants.

While the new concretes are making headway, a new study from Earthjustice and the Environmental Integrity Project finds that concretes made from cement kiln are emitting twice the EPA’s mercury pollution estimates in 2006.

The study, Cementing a Toxic Legacy? How EPA Has Failed to Control Mercury Pollution From Cement Kilns, finds:

Mercury emissions from cement kilns is now estimated to be nearly 23, 000 pounds, twice the EPA’s estimate in 2006 of almost 12,000 pounds.
A small number of cement plants using extremely dirty raw materials and fuels are among the worst mercury polluters in their states, releasing as much or more mercury as coal fired power plants.
Future mercury pollution will grow even worse if left unregulated.

Last summer, U.S. Concrete said it substantially replaced traditional Portland cement, which accounts for six to eight percent of human generated CO2 in the environment, with reclaimed fly ash and slag.

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Reader Comments

It is good to hear that fly ash and ground granulated blastfurnace slag is getting some long over due publicity. But unless there is something really special in this system, it does not appear to be a new application, these products have been used in the production of cement and concrete for many years. I certainly do not understand the claims related to GHG emmissions and feel that it is just another 21st Century marketing ploy. Please some one prove me wrong. The production of GGBS and PFA in itself must account for a tremendous amount of GHG. And while companies and others actively trade in Co2 Credits I for one fail to see why the GHG route has to be quoted for the use of these materials. Why cant it be promoted as a sound, sensible, technically advantageous, tried and tested application for the production of concrete. Which it is.

Peter Morton | July 30th, 2008

Its great to see we are doing are part to clean up the enviroment. One comment and it will probably get more producers to lean this way is Icrete charges a pretty hefty royalty to do mix optimization where companies like BASF and W.R Grace are doing this at no charge for customers. Good luck all….

Don Barber | July 31st, 2008

I was just browsing on line and checkin out icrete. I use it and it is easier dude. You dont even have to use much. and to Peter it is the easiest concrete i ever saw so why do u think its not new?

Charles Wolson | August 5th, 2008