Superior Block Adds Carbon Reduction to the Mix
Words: Bronzella Cleveland, Cory Sekine-pettite, David Warren, Tom Allen, Fred Henry, Eric Carr
Brooklyn-based block company to supply CarbonCure masonry
In April of 2015, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio released One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City. The plan includes the ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions in the Big Apple by 80 percent by 2050. Now, with the help of CarbonCure – a leader in green concrete technology – New York concrete masonry manufacturer Superior Block Corporation is helping the city get one step closer to achieving its carbon reduction goal.
Superior Block announced that as of November 2015, its concrete masonry units will be available with CarbonCure by request. The CarbonCure technology introduces carbon dioxide gas captured from the smokestacks of local industrial emitters into concrete products, where the gas becomes chemically converted into a mineral and permanently captured within the concrete.
“Superior Block has always proudly introduced sustainable concepts into its products and manufacturing processes,” says Connie Cincotta, president of Superior Block. “For example, we’ve been offering products made with a high percentage of recycled waste material and supplementary cementitious material for years. Now, with the addition of CarbonCure, we are immensely proud to introduce captured carbon dioxide gas into our mix and reduce the carbon footprint of our concrete masonry products.”
CarbonCure has partnered with concrete masonry facilities across North America, including Anchor in New Jersey, Oneonta Block in upstate New York, and A. Jandris & Sons in Massachusetts. With multiple manufacturers surrounding the New York market, products made with the CarbonCure technology may be competitively bid, which is an important consideration for New York architects.
“I’m excited by the announcement of Superior Block’s partnership with CarbonCure,” says Aaron Pine, principal at Construction Specifications Inc., a specification consultant to many of New York’s leading architectural firms. “Our clients value sustainability, and with the addition of Superior Block enabling competitive bidding on CarbonCure products, I feel more comfortable incorporating CarbonCure into my client’s concrete masonry unit specifications.”