Project Trailblazes Sustainable Concrete Solutions in Southern CA
By 2050, nearly 50% of all emissions generated by new construction are expected to come from building materials like concrete. Cement manufacturers in the United States recognize the impact of cement’s contribution to concrete’s greenhouse gas emissions and have set a goal to reach carbon neutrality by the same year.
Many states are taking action to reduce carbon emissions from concrete production and construction as well. For example, by 2030, all structures 10,000 square feet or larger in California must reduce carbon in building materials by 20%, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. By 2035, that number jumps to 40%.
To meet their ambitious decarbonization goals, Affinius Capital and McDonald Property Group selected PREMIER as the general contractor and Guy Yocom as the design-build concrete subcontractor for The HUB @ Ontario International Airport (ONT), a master-planned logistics park. The project emphasizes the use of innovative and sustainable concrete techniques.
The HUB will be one of the first large-scale developments in Southern California to incorporate an ECOSLAB carbon-reduction system, Total Integrated Panel Systems (TIPS), and paving.
Concrete-related decarbonization initiatives on The HUB will result in approximately 31,500 tons less embodied carbon released into the atmosphere across the entire development when compared to projects using conventional concrete designs.
Wall Solutions for Decarbonization
Typically, buildings are constructed with conventional tilt-up concrete wall panels. The HUB team is leveraging TIPS, which uses fewer materials and reduces the building’s carbon footprint. The project is the first to use the panels in southern California.
The total scope of Phase 1 for The HUB includes four buildings that cumulatively are more than two million square feet. Using TIPS panels for the building shells will make a significant contribution to the team’s CO2 reduction efforts.
“This project is leading the industry by pioneering a new and exciting direction with the use of TIPS panels in lieu of the traditional concrete tilt walls,” explained Derrick Schuster, Project Executive. “The foam core components are an innovative way to reduce the project’s carbon footprint by eliminating a substantial portion of cement. This is a transformational solution for achieving the elevated sustainability goals established for this industrial park.”
TIPS panels are the primary structural and insulating components of the building shells. They are 100% composite and use a specialized truss system that includes an EPS foam core in each panel.
This design allows the TIPS panels to be constructed with as little as 5 inches of concrete within a 9-inch insulated tilt-up panel. Although these panels are thinner than traditional solid concrete panels, they offer the same level of strength.
Sustainable Slabs
The team’s efforts to reduce concrete-related carbon emissions also incorporate an innovative concrete slab solution, ECOSLAB, that produces up to approximately 40% less CO2 than traditional concrete slabs. The concrete uses Type 1L cement, which offers an approximately 10% reduction in CO2 when compared to traditional portland cement.
Type 1L cement uses 8% to 13% of the limestone used in portland cement, which allows for less carbon to be emitted during the production stage. The Type 1L mix produces 15.4% less CO2 than traditional concrete. Additionally, it’s 1.5 inches thinner than the project’s original slab design, requiring less concrete overall.
The sustainable slab solution also includes a technology that sequesters carbon during cement production before it’s released into the atmosphere. This process maintains the concrete’s compressive strength and enables optimized cement content in the mix designs without impacting strength or performance. The technology saves an average of 15 to 25 pounds of CO2 emissions per yard of concrete from entering the atmosphere.
“Using ECOSLAB was a powerful way to help reach our sustainability goals on this project, as it leads to significant carbon reduction,” says PREMIER’s Southern California Market Lead Jeramy Mahfet. “It reduces the amount of concrete needed in the slab, incorporates a more sustainable cement, and uses carbon-reducing technology–making a meaningful impact on overall decarbonization across the entire project.”
By using the ECOSLAB for the slabs, the project team will reduce the amount of CO2 released per yard of slab concrete by approximately 30% on The HUB @ ONT.
Setting Sustainable Standards
The HUB @ ONT is setting a new standard for sustainable construction in Southern California. By pioneering the use of TIPS panels and incorporating an ECOSLAB, this project significantly reduces carbon emissions, aligning with the goals of Affinius Capital and McDonald Property Group.
As the construction industry continues to evolve, The HUB demonstrates it is possible to build sustainably without compromising structural integrity using strategic innovation and a commitment to sustainability.
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