Berms and Buffers

At SRM Materials we are committed to reducing the noise impact on our neighbors in the community. One of the most common and effective methods of noise reduction we leverage is the use of berms and buffers. A berm is a tall, man-made barrier that surrounds a quarry site. They are typically made from the overburden excavated from the quarries and are often topped with trees and other native vegetation. Berms reduce potential noise by both absorbing and redirecting it, minimizing the impact on the local area. Where berms are not possible, other measures are employed to reduce noise. At our Panama City port, we retrofitted our wheel loaders with white-noise backup alarms. These alarms significantly reduced the noise associated with the loading aspect of moving product.

Although necessary in everyday life, most people view quarries as unsightly. Because our quarries are often positioned near highways and main roads for logistical purposes, we utilize large vegetation-filled spaces around our quarries called buffer zones. When used in combination with berms, these zones not only reduce sound, and the visual impact, but are also a means for native wildlife to travel. We strive for our quarries to blend in with the surroundings to avoid being an eye-sore in our communities.

Geothermal Home Office

When it comes to renewable energy, there are many types that can be employed to be more sustainable. Many industry professionals believe Geothermal Systems are the greenest and best form of renewable energy. When SRM Concrete decided to build their new Home Office, they knew that a highly sustainable geothermal system was the right choice.

The geothermal system at SRM Concrete's new home office in Smyrna, Tennessee rejects heat below the Earth's surface during the warm summer months and harvests that same heat in the winter. The equipment is designed to regulate the temperature of the 85,000 square foot office building allowing SRM to eliminate all carbon-based fuels for comfort-heat generation.

All exhaust in the office is routed to the Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) which allows for pre-conditioning of outside air before reaching occupied zones. Exhaust air and fresh air supplied to the building via the ERV are metered through Variable Air Volume boxes that sense occupant conditions. This ensures a higher indoor air quality while sharing outside air into the space according to the current occupants and activities in each space.

Many office buildings of this size typically have a boiler installed to provide hot water. SRM opted for interlocking the heating system with the geothermal system via a heat pump chiller. These units can supply hot water to the facility by harvesting heat from the geothermal wells.

Additionally, SRM's investment in the facility has removed the need of cooling towers. This is expected to lower the facility's water main usage by approximately 35,000 gallons per year.

Geothermal systems are high-upfront-cost investments that can potentially take many years to yield substantial returns. Fortunately, SRM Concrete plans on being around for decades to come.

Water Conservation

Water is vital in the production of concrete, not only in the final product, but in every step of the batching process. From pre-soaking aggregates before they hit the mix to washing trucks down before they hit the road, water is utilized in every step. Since our concrete plants consume such high levels of water, we care about its conservation.

Most of our plants are equipped with closed loop water containment systems that reclaim our used water through a system of multiple settling pits that allow suspended solids to settle to the bottom. Water flows through the series of settling pits that allow the solids to settle, while the clean water continues to flow. After flowing through 3-5 pits, the water is naturally filtered and ready for reuse on the yard, trucks, equipment, haul roads, and aggregate piles. Additionally, the material that has settled to the bottom of the pits can be used for berm material, soil additives, and road base.

Recycling water in this way ensures we are stewarding our resources while maintaining our high standard of production quality.