Concrete buildings are more energy efficient than wood-frame buildings and therefore require less energy to  heat and cool. This reduces the amount of so-called green house gases produced by power generation  plants.

 Concrete Uses Recycled Materials

 Portland cement, which makes up about 10 percent of concrete, is manufactured from limestone, clay and  sand. Scrap tires and other combustible waste that would otherwise take valuable land in land fills are often  used as a fuel source in the cement manufacturing process. Sources of aggregates are diverse and  plentiful: sand, gravel, crushed stone, and an ever-increasing array of consumer and industrial waste  products - fly ash from coal burning electric power plants and blast furnace slag from steel mills. Crushed  concrete from demolition is often used as aggregate for concrete. Concrete's nearly inert matrix of materials  makes it an ideal recycling medium, with absolutely no degradation of strength or performance.

 Limitless Possibilities

 Concrete can create any shape or size home you can imagine. Because concrete takes any shape or form, it  can create an unlimited variety of curves and angles. Concrete's strength can be used to create large open  spaces - offering total flexibility in designing your home's floor plan.

 Healthy Living

 Concrete promotes a healthier indoor atmosphere, since it is practically inert, and requires no volatile  organic-based preservatives like wood does. It's naturally waterproof and fire-resistant, so it doesn't need  special coatings or sealers. Concrete can also be easily cleaned with organic, non-toxic substances.

 Built To Last

 Since wood rots and decays, and is extremely susceptible to natural disasters, it is central to a wasteful  construction cycle of frequent disposal and replacement. Concrete, on the other hand, requires little or no  maintenance, stands up to hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires. It can't be eaten by termites and  won't rust or rot. Concrete's sheer durability over decades of use goes a long way towards waste reduction.

 That's The Beauty Of Today's Concrete

 There's more than one way to build your concrete home or office. Insulating concrete forms. Concrete  masonry. Aerated concrete. Tilt-up concrete. Precast concrete. With volatile wood prices, logging's high  environmental price tag, and a growing shortage of high quality lumber, concrete offers a variety of products  and construction techniques to provide cost effective, quality alternatives to wood-frame home construction.

 All of these systems share the same basic virtues of concrete - beauty, strength, durability, low maintenance,  energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and peace and quiet. Which concrete building technique is  right for you depends on the labor force and predominant building practices in your area. Whatever your  choice, you can rest assured that your beautiful concrete home is built to last.