What is Fly Ash?

Fly ash is a byproduct of coal from coal burning power plants that amounted to nearly 131 million tons in 2007.  Currently, the fly ash is released into the air, buried in a landfill or illegally dumped into our oceans. Fly ash contains approximately 1 part per million of mercury.
 
Fly ash can be used to replace portland cement in concrete.  It makes for better concrete and is cheaper than the cement that it replaces.  For every ton of fly ash used in place of portland cement about a ton of carbon dioxide is prevented from entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Also, it takes the equivalent of 55 gallons of oil to produce a single ton of cement.
 
Another significant benefit of using fly ash is that it requires less water than portland cement, conserving a limited resource, while also reducing a project’s water and equipment costs.
 
Source: American Coal Ash Association, April 2010.