The newest addition to the MGM Resorts International portfolio, the landmark MGM National Harbor—featuring 1 million square feet of gaming, lodging, entertaining, dining, retail and parking space—is a showcase for sustainability on the eastern shore of the Potomac River, just south of Washington, DC. Every element throughout the 24-story mixed-use development was designed with sustainability in mind, including extensive use of natural light, LED lighting and water-saving features, such as the 750,000-gallon cistern that will collect rainwater.
Even more impressive than the size and extensive sustainability features is the fact that the MGM National Harbor hopes to earn LEED Gold certification by the US Green Building Council. This is one of the key reasons why Aggregate Industries US recommended and supplied 25,000 cubic yards of concrete made with fly-ash blended cement for the structure’s foundation package, which included pile caps and grade beams. In addition, Aggregate Industries US supplied all the aggregate used in the 150,000 cubic yards of structural concrete produced by the contractor’s three batch plants located on the job site.
The use of fly ash, a coal-combustion byproduct, as a partial replacement for portland cement can help designers and builders recycle industrial byproducts and earn points toward LEED certification of their projects. These blended cements have many properties that contribute to sustainable design—they reduce the consumption of nonrenewable raw materials, consume less energy and turn byproduct material from electric utilities into resources that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills.
Aggregate Industries US also supplied 3,000 cubic yards of ready-mix concrete for MGM National Harbor’s decorative terraces, walkways and entryways, as well as most of the asphalt and paving services for the parking lot and access road. MGM National Harbor is scheduled to open December 8, 2016.