SLR completes site plan design for Urban Mining Connecticut
SLR collaborated with Urban Mining CT and O&G Industries on the design of a site plan and assisted with obtaining permits for a new Pozzotive® manufacturing facility in Beacon Falls, Connecticut. This facility is now fully functional, with the ability to produce 50,000 tons of Pozzotive® per year. Pozzotive® is a fine, white powder created from recycled glass that can be used in a number of products, including cement, and will replace the traditional additive, fly ash.
“With the decommissioning of coal-fired power plants, the availability of fly ash has dwindled. This method of reusing post-consumer glass possesses many environmental and economic benefits,” noted Ted Hart, Principal Civil Engineer, Associate Manager of Engineering.
Pozzotive® can create a stronger concrete that is more impermeable to water intrusion, making it resistant to road salt and the freeze-thaw-cycles in the winter that are all causes of concrete deterioration. Making stronger concrete that is more impermeable will extend the serviceable life of the concrete. Pozzotive® can replace up to 50% of the cement content in concrete thereby significantly reducing the carbon footprint of concrete without increasing the cost of concrete. Every ton of cement used in concrete generates a ton of (carbon dioxide) gas; 6% to 7% of greenhouse gases in the world are attributable to cement. Not only will reducing the required amount of cement greatly reduce the concrete carbon footprint – the sustainable and readily available waste glass also radically reduces the mining of non-renewable natural resources used to manufacture cement. Recycling waste glass (bottles) will also reduce the amount of glass that ends up in landfills.
