MAPEI has the products for building green homes and infrastructure

Amidst 2023’s record-breaking forest fire activity, increasingly violent storms, and more frequent (and frequently disastrous) flooding events, it’s clear we urgently need to build more resilient and green homes and infrastructure in Canada.

Building with an eye towards future need is in fact a long tradition for Canadian infrastructure projects, dating back to the 19^th century construction of the world-famous Rideau Canal, which connects Lake Ontario to Canada’s capital city, Ottawa. Built as a part of a defense system after the War of 1812, the 202-km canal was initially planned to include locks fitting a smaller standard of vessels than those anticipated by the more forward-thinking engineer (Lieutenant-Colonel John By)¹ entrusted to its construction:

“During the winter of 1826, several small contracts were given for forest clearing, excavation, and stonemasonry. Colonel By didn't agree with the original concept for locks being 108 feet long by 20 feet wide. He argued that the locks should be able to handle the new naval steamboats, and wanted locks that were 150 feet long, 50 feet in width, with a navigation depth of 10 feet (he later revised to latter down to 5 feet).”²

While the concept of building green homes and infrastructure was still over a century away from By’s 1826 cognizance, it is noteworthy that he was eventually proven to be quite right in his basic premise: that whatever major infrastructure project one endeavors to construct, it is best designed with both present and future needs in mind.

Acknowledging the carbon footprint of construction

As the saying goes, when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is to stop digging. With every additional ton of carbon added to Earth’s atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, the shovel goes down a little deeper. That’s why the construction industry in Canada – and MAPEI as a matter of course – is deeply invested in finding new ways to adjust our day-to-day activities so we can reduce our collective carbon footprint.

While the global transition away from the use of fossil fuels will take decades, adopting green building practices for homes and infrastructure is one of the keys to making that aspirational destination possible. At MAPEI, we believe that we can (and must) act immediately to help Canada build green homes and infrastructure, and consistently build with sustainability as a guiding principle.

Offsetting carbon emissions with MAPEI products

It starts with the concept of offsetting the carbon we are required to use while in the process of getting there. That’s why the MAPEI Group created the Zero line of CO₂ fully offset products, which helped us offset a total of 100,000 tons of carbon-dioxide in 2023 internationally. CO₂ emissions measured throughout the life cycle of products from the Zero line in 2023 using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, verified and certified with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), have been offset through the acquisition of third-party-certified carbon credits in support of renewable energy and reforestation projects. A commitment to the planet, to people and to biodiversity.

Reducing environmental impact without compromising on performance: MAPEI’s Research & Development teams, which have always been at the heart of the company, analyzed every formula to look for and find formulations with less impact on the environment but with the same performance. In some cases, the optimized formulas performed even better than their previous versions. These products enable new buildings to be constructed and old buildings to be restored with long-lasting durability that benefits current users and future generations. These products have been created for the good of the planet in addition to the well-being of those who build with them and those who inhabit the structures built with them.

First, we measure our impacts by completing a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Then, we optimize our formulas and production processes in addition to using more sustainable packaging, all of which results in a considerable reduction in CO₂ emissions. Any residual emissions are then fully offset through renewable energy and reforestation projects. We continue to improve our efforts to reduce and offset carbon emissions.

MAPEI always leads by example. From the beginning of the company, there has been a driving corporate philosophy that a certain percentage of profits should be reinvested into research and development, to create industry-leading products that have a minimal impact on human health and the environment throughout their entire life cycle. The life cycle must be extensive, and the products must be durable – but in addition to offering high performance, MAPEI products are developed with the well-being of users and the environment in mind. That mandate has been a constant throughout the company’s history – well before “sustainability” was a buzzword.

MAPEI’s three-pronged sustainability mandate – low environmental impact, low health impact and high durability – is the result of continual innovation and a dedication to creating sustainable solutions. It starts at our plants, where our operations are conducted with sustainability in mind throughout a “cradle-to grave” process. Every step of the process is examined to ensure that, from beginning to end, our carbon footprint is as small as possible. To track this process, MAPEI has implemented a formal environmental management system (EMS) according to ISO 14001. To this end, we developed an environmental policy and timetable for the implementation of the EMS at all our North American facilities. As of 2023, MAPEI’s facilities have been certified to ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 standards.

The process continues with our products’ documentation, packaging and shipping. As a manufacturer, we are transparent about our ingredients. MAPEI’s products are developed to safeguard the health of installers and occupants. At a minimum, these products have an EPD. These products also carry the SCS Global Services Indoor Advantage Gold certification, signifying low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions and compliance with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Standard Method v1.2-2017.

Even the way that we package our products is environmentally based: We’ve switched to machinery that utilizes plastic packaging, which is not only recyclable, but also helps decrease the costs that can occur with product leakage and waste. Further, recent improvements in our logistics have helped to keep transportation costs and fuel consumption low, while reducing our carbon footprint.

Building green homes and infrastructure with CO₂ Fully offset Tile & Stone Installation products from MAPEI

Tile & stone installation products available in the Zero line include premium setting products for stone, thin-set tile or large-and-heavy-tile – and for virtually any type of interior or exterior, commercial or residential application:

• Keraflex^® Super - Premium, Extra Smooth, Large-and-Heavy-Tile Mortar with Polymer
• Large Tile & Stone Mortar - Premium, Polymer-Enriched, Large-and-Heavy-Tile and Thin-Set Mortar
• Light Mortar for Tile & Stone - Lightweight, Polymer-Enriched Mortar for Floors and Walls
• MAPEI Ultralite^® Mortar - Premium, Lightweight Mortar with Polymer for Large and Heavy Tile
• Ultracolor^® Plus FA - Rapid-Setting, “All-in-One” Grout Replacement for Sanded and Unsanded Grouts
• Ultraflex^® LFT^™ - Premium, Large-and-Heavy-Tile Mortar with Polymer

Building green homes and infrastructure with CO₂ Fully offset Concrete Restoration Systems products from MAPEI

Concrete restoration products available in the Zero line include some of our most popular products for patching, anti-corrosion and concrete repair:

• Mapecem^® Quickpatch - High-Performance Concrete Patch
• Mapefer^™ 1K [NA] - Corrosion-Inhibiting Coating for Reinforcing Steel
• Planitop^® XS - One-Component, Fast-Setting, Extended-Working-Time, Vertical and Overhead Repair Mortar

Building green homes and infrastructure by reducing the carbon footprint in concrete construction with products from MAPEI

MAPEI's Re-Con line helps concrete producers to move toward a more circular and effective production model by offering cost-effective and sustainable solutions. Under the four key concepts of Reclaim, Clean, Recycle and Reduce CO₂, substantial savings in waste-handling costs can be made by transforming returned concrete and truck-washing slurry into valuable material. The Re-Con line also offers products that enhance circularity of material flows by reducing the need for high-cost, virgin, raw materials... mitigating the problems of using recycled concrete, manufactured sand or clay-contaminated sand in new concrete.

Re-Con Zero^™ Evo transforms returned concrete into reclaimed aggregates. This 2-component system consists of a superabsorbent polymer and a hardener. It transforms fresh returned concrete into a granular material by chemically binding the free water (Part A) and by stabilizing and accelerating the process (Part B). Re-Con Zero Evo reduces the environmental impact of concrete production by transforming waste stream to resource material and also by increasing material circularity.

Re-Con AGG 100 [NA] is a product that contributes to higher dosages of recycled aggregates or other demanding raw materials. Re-Con AGG 100 has proven to be very effective in combination with superplasticizers in the Dynamon^® line, to retain the workability of concrete when using demanding sand or coarse aggregates without reducing the compressive strength at 24 hours or later. The workability retention effect of Re-Con AGG 100 has been proven in a number of different applications, such as manufactured sand, clay-bearing sand and in recycled concrete aggregates and providing supplementary cementitious material.

Building green infrastructure for renewable energy with products from MAPEI

The wind-turbine towers dotting the landscape around the world need installation products designed to handle the intense physical stresses placed upon them, particularly for anchoring their bases. That requires fasteners and grout that can provide excellent fatigue resistance and high resistance to dynamic loads.

MAPEI technology went into the development of a specialty cementitious grout for just this purpose, with the added capacity to flow into tight spaces and be installed in adverse weather conditions: Mapefill 130 WT. This is a pre-blended powdered grout composed of high-strength cement, graded aggregates and special admixtures with an expansive agent formulated to provide exactly the high early mechanical strength needed.

As well, our Mapelastic^® cementitious membrane extends the life of green infrastructure, waterproofing concrete and masonry, as a coating that offers protection against chemical attack from de-icing salts, sulfates, chlorides and carbon dioxide.

Building green infrastructure with products from MAPEI – passing the acid test at Toronto’s Union Station

Another crucial aspect of green building for homes and infrastructure is the need to take into account the increasingly powerful weather events seen recently (and projected by climate scientists to continue for the foreseeable future). These weather extremes prove the need to build more robustly, since stronger, more resilient green homes and infrastructures last longer and therefore don’t need to be rebuilt so soon.

That was a primary concern of a major renovation and waterproofing project MAPEI Canada was involved with in 2021 at Union Station in downtown Toronto, Ontario. The City of Toronto had decided to make improved waterproofing and drainage a primary spec for the renovation/beautification of the busy “moat” pedestrian concourse, which daily sees some 250,000 commuters passing in and out of the underground Union subway station situated in the heart of Canada’s main financial district.

As part of the product build, an extra component for drainage was needed at the very bottom of the new flooring solution. That first intervention atop the 35,000-square foot (3 252-m²) concrete substrate was the high-strength, prefabricated drainage composite Mapedrain^™ 30, selected to deal with any surges of excess water – such as during floods or accelerated snow melt – and direct them down into the city sewers. Mapedrain 30 consists of a woven filter fabric bonded to individual dimples of a molded polypropylene core, minimizing fabric intrusion into the drainage channels caused by overburden pressure.

Three years later, when the installation eventually got inundated on July 16, 2024 by a major sustained downpour event (reportedly “close to 100 mm [4"] of rain within 3-1/2 hours” per Global News), the water gushed right on through, down into the sewer system and out to Lake Ontario, just as designed.³ Subsequently, there was no prolonged accumulation of water to cause damage to either the flamed granite-stone covering, nor the underlying concrete infrastructure. Case in point: When it comes to building green infrastructure, MAPEI products prove more than capable of meeting the challenge.

At MAPEI Canada sustainability is a part of everything we do. When it comes to our company’s sustainable approach – PEOPLE, PLANET, PRODUCTS – MAPEI’s process focus on sustaining the environment today and tomorrow. From material sourcing through packaging disposal, transparency of a product at each stage of its life cycle has become a critical driver in specifying and purchasing building products. We are proud to say that a wide variety of our products contribute to green building standards and certification programs including LEED, the Living Building Challenge, and the WELL Building Standard. As proof of our commitment to sustainability, MAPEI offers the following current and relevant third-party verified certifications and sustainable attributes for a wide variety of our products:

• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), product-specific as well as two industry-wide EPDs for tile mortar and tile grout made in North America
• Material Ingredient Reports: 3rd Party Verified Manufacturer Inventories
• SCS Global Services’ Indoor Advantage Gold certifications demonstrating that products meet indoor air quality standards pertaining to VOC emissions
• Low VOC content that meets South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113 for Architectural Coatings and 1168 for Adhesives and Sealants
• Recycled content
• Green Squared certification for Tile-Setting Materials

At MAPEI Canada, we believe there is always a way to find a sustainable solution that doesn’t compromise the health of our planet for our built environment. To find out more on MAPEI sustainability, go to: https://www.mapei.com/ca/en-ca/about-us/sustainability/building-a-sustainable-future-together

[2] https://www.rideau-info.com/canal/history/hist-canal.html

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riUXkOsq1Ew - Global National: July 16, 2024 | Toronto hit by major flooding, thousands without power