Green Business: Making the case for Concrete road construction

$28 billion is being set aside through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act just for road and bridge construction on our nation’s highways. A release from the Portland Cement Association outlines a plan to create 825,000 jobs directly and create longer lasting roads which would in turn be more eco-friendly. Lower emissions and better mileage are just a few of the positive side effects. Below are some excerpts from the White Paper, Paving the Way for Economic Recovery from PCA.

A paradigm shift in the cost benefits of utilizing concrete, particularly versus asphalt in the construction of new roads. The cost of building roads with concrete is much less over the long term compared to  asphalt, and recently has become about the same over the short term. This is a major development that is expected to have significant impact on the choice of building materials by state and local officials. In addition to being less expensive, concrete roads are more energy efficient than asphalt roads, plus they last longer and require less ongoing maintenance.

The growing national emphasis on energy independence and environmental responsibility. New and more efficient roads mean less congestion, greater fuel efficiency and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Beyond that, the cement industry has invested heavily in new technologies and equipment to improve energy efficiency at its manufacturing facilities.

The emphasis on infrastructure investment to create jobs. For every $1 billion the nation spends on infrastructure we create approximately 30,000 jobs. So the planned $28 billion for road construction could create more than 825,000 jobs directly.

Makes a pretty compelling case. It’s been proven that concrete, such as the ICF’s used by companies like Reddiform, can be an amazingly efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly solution. If it works for buildings, why not roads?

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