Concrete

Most people think of concrete as a benign building material, including myself. I was surprised to find out in Serious Straw Bale that concrete is one of the most energy intensive materials used in construction. Each cubic yard of concrete produced results in 631 pounds of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. Eight percent of the carbon dioxide released into the earth's atmosphere annually is a result of concrete production.

There's no doubt that concrete is very useful material. But there are less energy intensive alternatives. For instance, plain old earth. Earthen floors are common in less industrialized countries and from what I can gather can be just as tough as a concrete floor. An earthen floor is made up of clay, sand and some kind of binder, often straw. This is mixed into a paste not unlike concrete, poured like concrete, and let to dry. An oil is used to seal it. Earthen floors have been successfully employed in retail spaces with heavy traffic.