Industry Commitments
The Expanded Shale, Clay and Slate Industry is committed to the efficient production and long-term performance of expanded shale, clay and slate (ESCS) lightweight aggregate. The industry and its related association ESCSI are also committed to the sustainable development of the entire building industry.
Product manufacturing
The sustainability movement has created a shift in attitudes and lifestyle awareness that has caused the building industry to evaluate itself from a green perspective. When the ESCSI looked at the uses and manufacturing of ESCS lightweight aggregate from a green perspective we were pleasantly surprised.
Lightweight aggregate is an environmentally friendly product with unique features that has been successfully used for well over two millennia, with rotary kiln produced ESCS in widespread use for the past ninety years. It has been used in a multitude of applications that contributed to the sustainability of the site and structure long before the current green movement came to the forefront.
The embodied energy to make ESCS includes mining, manufacturing, and transporting the material to the jobsite or building product manufacturer. The cost of this embodied energy is often paid back in a very short period of time, because of the weight reduction in buildings, lower transportation and labor costs and improved thermal performance associated with the building elements. Life cycle energy savings realized from using ESCS will help conserve valuable natural resources for future generations.
The use of ESCS lightweight aggregate in concrete saves materials, labor and transportation costs, and improves the performance and service life of concrete. Using lightweight aggregate can lower the overall energy consumption of structures throughout their useful lives. These benefits all fit into the green building movement and help projects become LEED® certified. The use of ESCS lightweight aggregate often lowers initial construction cost and most importantly, significantly lowers the life-cycle cost of the structure.
Sustainability Definition
We use the generally adopted definition of “sustainable development” presented by the 1987 UN World Commission on Environment and Development: “Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.