Climate Conscious Construction Coalition
Local 528 Cement Masons & Plasterers is a dedicated community of frontline workers committed to ensuring a sustainable future for our industry. We are actively partnering with industry professionals to host events and drive projects focused on green concrete and reduced-carbon initiatives. Our mission is to promote sustainability for future generations through the 4C principles: Collaboration, Commitment, Community, and Climate. We take pride in our responsibility to leave a legacy of environmental stewardship and innovation.
Action is Key to success
Concrete is the world's most widely used construction material, yet cement production, a key component of concrete, contributes approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions. To reduce embodied carbon, architects and project owners often prioritize minimizing cement usage. However, these innovative, low-cement mixes introduce unique challenges for workers placing and finishing them, as they come with distinct properties and requirements. At Local 528 Cement Masons & Plasterers, we lead the construction industry by embracing these challenges. Our members—whether apprentices or seasoned journeymen—are equipped with the expertise and training to adapt to evolving industry demands, ensuring every project is completed to the highest standards of performance and sustainability.
Partner With Us
Join the Climate Conscious Construction Coalition to collaborate with dedicated frontline workers at Local 528 Cement Masons & Plasterers. Together, we can advance sustainability in construction through shared expertise and innovation. Whether you partner with our coalition or invite us to support your organization’s initiatives, let’s build a greener future hand in hand.
Partnerships = Progress
Local 528 Cement Masons & Plasterers has invested in a concrete 3D printer to train our members in this innovative technology, which reduces material waste by up to 60% and uses low-carbon mixes, cutting cement content by 30-50% and emissions by up to 70%. This commitment positions us as leaders in sustainable construction, and we seek public and private partners to test 3D-printed concrete products on job sites, embracing the African proverb, “If you want to go far, go together,” to drive industry progress.
What is "Green Concrete?" It includes some of the following:
Type IL Cement aka Portland Limestone Cement (PLC): Common in Western Washington in concrete mixes, it is also seeing adaptation nationwide. It differs from Type I/II because it has 5-15% reduction in cement and adds additional Limestone. It is accepted for certain ASCTM and ACI standards. There are many types of Portland Cement as well as Blended Hydraulic Cements but Type IL is seeing the widest adoption among owners and government agencies.
SCMs: Supplementary Cementitious Materials are additives that replace cement and therefore lower the embodied carbon of a concrete mix. They can be added to the cement or later at the batch plant. It is common to see fly ash and slag added to mixes to decrease cement usage.
Recycled Water: This includes water used to clean trucks as well as runoff water from the plants. This water is collected and if it reaches criteria specified in ASTM and the mix design, may be used in the mix.
Recycled Aggregate: New construction may require redeveloping areas already filled with concrete, asphalt, and masonry. These existing materials can be recycled and turned in to aggregate for backfill as well as aggregate for concrete.
