East San Jose low-income housing project built with sustainability in mind

Masters of Green:

Quetzal Gardens

San Jose, CA

4,200 yards of concrete with 70% cement replacement

Slag

20 tons of carbon dioxide saved

SAN JOSE – Graniterock served up more than 4,200 yards of sustainable concrete for a $50 million low-income housing project in East San Jose.

Quetzal Gardens, located in the Alum Rock neighborhood at 7 N. King Road, is a six-story building with four floors of residential over two floors of commercial space and parking.

The affordable apartment complex includes 71 units for the chronically homeless, extremely low income and low-income residents.

The developer Resources for Community Development committed to green construction with concrete made with supplemental cementitious materials.

Graniterock supplied concrete with 70 percent cement replacement for Quetzal Gardens, saving 20 tons in carbon dioxide emissions.

Replacing a portion of cement with an industrial byproduct – slag or fly ash – results in excellent strength and durability.

Graniterock continually looks for opportunities to produce ready-mix concrete with less cement and higher quantities of slag and fly ash in an effort to further the company’s environmental stewardship.

Cement leaves a big footprint when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions.

Cement production requires extreme heat, which releases tons of carbon dioxide from chemical reactions and the heating process.

“Green, sustainable concrete mix has become a regular part of our business,” Graniterock’s Max Morgan said. “While we know it’s the right thing to do for the environment, it also results in a stronger mix all around. This type of concrete production will only continue going up in California.”