Sustainability
What is Pozzolan?
A Pozzolan is a siliceous or siliceous and aluminous material that in itself possesses little or no cementitious value, but will, in finely divided form and the presence of moisture, chemically react with calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperatures to form compounds having cementitious properties. It is therefore classified as a cementitious material.
(American Concrete Institute, www.concrete.org/tools/frequentlyaskedquestions; What is a Pozzolan?)
How does Pozzolan Benefit Concrete?
“Pozzolans add strength, impermeability, autogenous healing, sulfate resistance.”
(American Concrete Institute, www.concrete.org/tools/frequentlyaskedquestions; How do Pozzolans benefit concrete?)
The Hill Process & Comus Pozzolan as the Green Solution
Comus S.P.P. has +1 billion tons of pozzolan in its reserves, ready to be introduced to the concrete and cement industry as an immediate solution to the emissions issue of CO2 and any resident toxins.
Our reserves are positioned on the East Coast of the United States and are uniquely positioned to serve the concrete industry and the environmental need to reduce the emissions from high heat processing (calcining).
Araby does not require calcining for activation. Therefore, it is capable of extending its zero-carbon footprint to cement. Further, the Hill Process is a mechanical / no heat process, stopping the Loss On Ignition of all resident toxic emissions.
The Comus Advantage
The sustainability philosophy of CSPP extends beyond our products to our manufacturing and transportation efficiencies. Raw materials are produced ‘on-site’ without the need for trucking. Therefore, transportation is needed only to move finished goods to the job site. The CSPP philosophy of sustainability reduces CO2 at the mine, the mill, and in our manufacturing plant. CO2 is further reduced because of the ASTM standard (C618) that allows for up to 40% substitution of pozzolan in the standard Portland Cement design mix.
This means there is 40% less limestone burned. During the heating of limestone, the CO2 present within the mineral is also released, and this is in addition to the fossil fuels used to heat it. In traditional Portland cement manufacturing, the release of CO² not only happens when the fossil fuels are burned to heat the limestone but also, when the chemicals within the ingredients of the cement evaporate due to the high heat. Therefore, the Comus advantage provides up to a total of 50% CO² savings.
It is important to realize that Pozzolan Portland Cement is far more durable than conventional Portland cement, with a life expectancy of up to five (5) times longer than traditional Portland Cement. This means that traditional concrete infrastructures that are repaired and/or replaced approximately every 70 years have the potential to last up to 350 years. The carbon savings through this realization can now be as much as 92%.
Thus… Math Never Lies
40% CO² savings from not burning fossil fuels in a kiln.
10% CO² savings from not calcining the limestone.
200% lifetime savings from extended longevity of Pozzolan Portland Cement (5X normal OPC)
92% lifetime savings of CO²
*“While the dam (Hoover) is expected to last for centuries, engineers predict the structure could last for more than 10,000 years, surpassing most remnants of human civilization if humans were to disappear from the earth.”
The North Quarry
C.S.P.P. realizes that while many environmental hazards begin in the air, they soon settle to the ground, and then leach into the water. It is water that tells the story of our stewardship.
The North Quarry of our family of Quarries has been segregated as an environmental showcase. This 17-acre lake, with a maximum depth of 200 feet, completed filling in 2010 from a natural aquifer that creates a crystal-clear view into the abundant life below the surface. The speed at which nature reclaimed this jewel was astounding. We share its presence with various government agencies to train in scuba diving for first responders of Search & Rescue/Recovery.
The North Quarry has given us the ability to repurpose our past industrial needs into something that continues to heal on multiple levels, in multiple ways.