Although Green Cement was invented in the late 90s, it had failed to gain much traction. However, in recent years, you may have heard the term “green cement” as a method of reducing the carbon emissions associated with cement production. The specific industry accounts for around seven percent of CO2 Emissions worldwide. Global Efficiency Intelligence reports that cement is responsible for more than 80 percent of CO during the actual production process2 Emissions from calcination and fuel combustion.
To combat this, world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference created the Breakthrough Review, which aims to support clean technology processes such as electricity, road transport, steel, buildings, cement and concrete. This agenda could increase the use of green cement across the construction industry.
What is green cement?
At the most basic level, green cement is made with waste or renewable materials and manufactured in an environmentally friendly way. While green cement has the potential to reduce emissions, there can be downsides to trying to incorporate its use into your business model. Price and availability are not only a barrier, but also in anything new that can be used in practice.
With the green cement market expected to grow from just over $39 billion in 2024 to around $83 billion by 2032, let's take a look at a few different types of green cement, including the pros and cons.
- Magnesium oxychloride cement: Magnesium oxychloride cement is an air-curing gel material made from light-burned magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride and water. Magnesium oxychloride cement has advantages such as strength, fast saddle speed compared to other green cements, thermal insulation and fire resistance. On the other hand, poor water resistance has resulted in limited development.
- Ferrocement: The outcast is made by mixing silica and iron and can be used as a ferrast unit or panel, making it relatively easy to transport. A disadvantage of this type of green cement is that it can be difficult to work with, labor-intensive and it may not be suitable in high-profile areas.
- Geopolymer cement: This green option is also known as alkaline activated cement and is made using aluminosilicates. While alkaline activated slag cement is a type of geopolymer that has been used since the mid-20th century, it is still not entirely available and has only recently begun to be studied in the United States of its components. This cement offers advantages such as insulation and water durability with a higher early strength, but can become brittle over time and is prone to shrinkage.
- Calcium sulfoaluminate cement: Calcium sulfoaluminate cement is a mixture of limestone, fly ash and gypsum and is praised for its strength, fast fill times and low shrinkage rates, as well as its sulfate resistance, making it ideal for use in coastal areas. As one of the most commonly used types of green cement, it carries some disadvantages, including a short setting time, which can be challenging in colder weather. It also causes some challenges with workability, which can lead to difficulties for construction workers.
Construction fleets can use a fleet optimization platform to improve preventative maintenance compliance and plan downtime effectively.fleet
Price forecast
Like many newer green building materials, price can be a barrier to entry, with costs varying depending on region and availability. And while the push for net zero in the cement industry may result in a 40 to 120 percent increase in cement costs, it may not be quite as bad as you think. Overall, the components of green cement are relatively inexpensive, although the manufacturing process may serve to increase the price. Currently, the national average cost of conventional cement is about $125 per ton. Compared to the price of green cements in California and Texas, which were taken at $100 to $160 per ton and $80 to $120 per ton, according to IndexBox, some areas say the price difference may be felt more than others.
The U.S. General Services Administration recently conducted a national survey of more than 130 companies–approximately $2 to $20 per cubic meter depending on the mix. There is an expected reduction in green cement price premiums as both availability and local supply increase. Given regions like the western US – where green cement is the norm – they can procure a price duration with a premium of less than one percent.
Budgeting for green materials
Until green cement becomes more widely available in more areas of the country, it is important to keep the projected price differences at the forefront. Budget space is the key to solving this problem. Because a construction company's fleet represents a large portion of expenses, it can help maintain the budget flexibility needed to offset higher material costs. Controlling fleet costs is easier said than done, especially for fleets with manual data collection methods such as paper or spreadsheets. Since service and fuel expenses account for the brunt of a fleet's costs, these are important areas for improving cost control.
Fleets can leverage fuel management within these platforms and reduce fuel misuse and even theft.fleetEnsuring preventative and proactive maintenance is carried out in a timely manner, can significantly reduce asset downtime and repair while maximizing the life cycle of vehicles and equipment. Construction fleets can leverage a fleet optimization platform to improve service reminder preparedness regulations to effectively plan for downtime. Digital inspections in such platforms automatically alert management when an inspection item fails, allowing problem prioritization of severity so that critical issues can be expediently addressed.
Fleets can also leverage fuel management within these platforms, with automatic alerts about fuel exceptions and discrepancies reducing fuel misuse and even theft. Fuel consumption trends can also be easily tracked to identify low-cost assets that may need to be replaced. When integrating telematics into an optimization platform, you can also monitor actual or operational idle time to reduce unnecessary wear and tear and fuel consumption.
While green cement may not be as expensive as an electric vehicle or appliance depending on where you operate, it may still be a monetary procurement challenge. Making room in your budget will help you offset higher upfront costs, allowing you to be an early adopter of green cement to meet sustainability goals and appeal to carbon-conscious customers.