Some might say that the emerging green concrete industry doesn't hold water — and they'd be right...

That's because a waterproof concrete mixture is the secret to the industry's success and sustainability.

And the industry's biggest success story right now is Hycrete Inc.

While regular concrete is porous, Hycrete's solutions are completely hydrophobic, making the concrete both environmentally friendly and far cheaper than ordinary concrete.

Hycrete eliminates the need for the petroleum-based membrane that encases concrete to protect it from water damage and corrosion. Petroleum-based membranes are classified as volatile organic compounds (VOC) and are unfit for recycling; since Hycrete's concrete is membrane-free, it can be recycled at landfills.

The company's dedication to sustainability has led Hycrete to take the title as the first Cradle-to-Cradle building material.

In order to meet certification requirements, Hycrete had to adhere to a series of stringent criteria including use of low-impact, green materials manufactured responsibly and sustainably.

Not only are the membranes used to waterproof regular concrete toxic, but they can also cost up to $6 a square foot. The new materials are cheaper as well as more environmentally friendly. And given that waterproofing is one of most litigated parts of construction, firms are saving big bucks on the back end, too.

When the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego implemented Hycrete in its LEED-certified building, the results were astounding. They saved $187,000 in material costs and shaved about four weeks off of construction time. It was also the first building to receive a LEED point for "Membrane-Free Construction."

According to Hycrete's website, the concrete mixtures work in the following ways:

1. Hydrophobic Pore Blocking - The polymers in Hycrete admixtures block pores in the concrete. The absorption of water in the concrete is dramatically reduced. Water and absorbed salts stay out of the concrete.

2. Corrosion Inhibition - Ionic in nature, the molecules in Hycrete admixtures also bind to the surface of any steel reinforcement in the concrete, forming passivating layers and minimizing rebar (a reinforcing bar, or common steel bar) corrosion. Hycrete admixtures also barrier diffusion of ions through water that does absorb into the concrete, providing an extra layer of defense against corrosive agents

The technology is becoming more commonplace as contractors put growing emphasis on sustainable building.

President Obama himself has helped spread the word about the process. When he invited cleantech executives to the White House last year, he singled out Hycrete for their innovation:

When you hear the innovation that's taking place...(including) new concrete materials that last longer and are waterproofed from the inside out, and that can mean that bridges and roads and buildings can last that can last 20 or 30 years longer than using conventional concrete... that gets you excited.

Obama isn't the only big name touting Hycrete's technology...

In the past few months Nintendo, Amazon.com, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have all signed on to implement Hycrete into their new headquarter buildings.

Be Well,

Jimmy