Buildings in Dubai to use 'green' concrete in construction

DUBAI, 31st March, 2015 (WAM) -- As part of its strategy to make Dubai a green city, starting from 1st April, all new buildings' construction should use 'green' concrete, the eco-friendly Supplementary Cementing Materials, SCMs, alternative for Ordinary Portland Cement, OPC, the major component of concrete mix that is found to emit toxic gases. With each tonne of OPC produced emitting more than one tonne of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases, Dubai Municipality has made it mandatory for consultants and contractors to use more greener and safer alternatives, officials said yesterday at a press conference. The aim to keep Dubai a healthy city follows the highest standards of sustainable development and provide residents with a clean and pollution-free environment. The move followed a study by the municipality’s Building Department that ascertained the negative impact that Portland cement can have. "We are keen to provide what is best for the city. We are looking at every element of buildings," said Dubai Municipality Director-General, Hussain Nasser Lootah. He said the new options comply with green building requirements, are more durable and offer better quality at the same or even cheaper rates. Officials said the construction industry in the UAE depends solely on a dozen cement-manufacturing companies. "The capacity of the 12 cement companies in the UAE is 39 million tonnes, but we are producing only 19 million tonnes as per demand, which is going up slowly," said the Dubai Municipality Assistant Director-General for Engineering and Planning Sector, Abdullah Raffia. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/general/1395278647799.html