Rohnert Park, CA – Wafflemat Foundations today announced Breath California honored Matt Gonsalves, founder of Conco, and inventor of the Wafflemat foundation forming system, recipient of their prestigious Clean Air Award in the category of “Green Building” at the 17th annual Clean Air Awards luncheon in San Francisco.
Each year, Breath California, now in its 99th year of continuous operation, presents its Clean Air Awards to businesses, organizations and individuals who are committed to improving air quality in the region. The event brings together leaders from government, business and community groups to celebrate the innovative approaches being taken to reduce air pollution. Past recipients include IBM, Intel, Shell Oil, PG&E, The Port of Oakland, The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and Lockheed Martin.
A recent white paper, “Lowering the Carbon Footprint When Using the Wafflemat System for Concrete Slab Foundations,” provided analysis on the production, transportation, and use of concrete in residential slab foundations, and concludes use of Wafflemat in residential home construction can reduce the level of climate change gas emissions by 20% -- the equivalent of 4 to 9 tons less CO2 released into the atmosphere per home -- when compared to conventional slab foundations.
Sam Altshuler, P.E., M.E., and Board Certified Environmental Engineer, said: “The manufacture and transportation of concrete produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide, which is the main anthropogenic gas contributing to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. Since the Wafflemat System is made up of foundation-forming Waffleboxes that displace concrete, less concrete is utilized in the foundation when compared to conventional ribbed or uniform thickness foundation slabs. And, that translates into several tons less CO2 released into the atmosphere per home.”
Ken Douglass, P.E., noted: “Products and systems that reduce energy consumption, encourage conservation, and use recycled or sustainable resources are not only good for the environment, they’re good for business too. We like the fact Wafflemat reduces CO2, as that fits into our strategy of providing foundations that are the best in environmentally-friendly designed homes.”
