All new buildings in Dubai will be made with ‘green concrete’ that extends the life of buildings by decades, officials said on Sunday. Starting from April, the eco-friendly Supplementary Cementing Materials (SCMs) will replace, in varying ratios, the common Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) used in most Dubai buildings.
SCMs include materials such as Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag (GGBS) and fly ash. A typical internationally recommended SCM to OPC ratio is a mixture made of 64 per cent GGBS and 34 per cent OPC.
The announcement came during a press conference at Dubai Municipality’s Deira headquarters on Sunday.
According to research cited by the municipality, producing one tonne of OPC is accompanied by the emission of 1.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that is thought to contribute to global warming.
Substituting SCMs in place of OPC cuts CO2 emissions by 80% while increasing resistance to salts, which is a factor to consider in the local industry because of the soil composition of Dubai. The materials also improve thermal insulation of concrete, making them more suited to Dubai’s extreme heat.
Hussain Lootah, Dubai Municipality’s Director-General expects the industry to achieve full compliance by the end of this year. Lootah said the new rule is in line with the general drive towards sustainability in Dubai led by the municipality.
