CSC Sustainability Certification

At Knife River Prestress, our pursuit of CSC certification reaffirms our longstanding commitment to sustainable practices in the prefabrication of concrete structures, a field we have specialized in for over 60 years. This rigorous certification process evaluates not only our product’s carbon footprint and material sourcing practices but also our business management strategies. By adopting CSC standards for certification and continuous assessment, we are committing to enhancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices within the prestressed concrete industry.

Concrete Sustainability Council
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Environmental Product Declarations

Knife River has partnered with Climate Earth to produce Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its concrete mixes. Our prestress division’s EPD generator incorporates operational impacts and mix designs to deliver plant-specific concrete EPDs. If you are an owner, architect, engineer, or contractor, please contact us today to discuss your targets and performance requirements. Together, we can develop a performance-based approach optimized to meet your project’s needs.

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Mix Design Optimization

Using state-of-the-art mixing systems, Knife River can reduce cement usage by incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), all while meeting the strength and workability requirements of modern projects. The Knife River Prestress batching facility features advanced storage, metering, and mixing systems, enabling the improvement of mix designs. This allows us to offer customers a variety of cement reduction solutions, including carbon injection, SCM offsets, and low-carbon cements.

Reducing Carbon
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Advancing Green Technology

Knife River collaborated with Oregon State University, the US Forest Service, and the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities on the Moffett Creek Bridge project in Siskiyou, California. This pilot project showcased enhanced material strengths, which demonstrated the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions effectively. This innovative approach marks a significant step towards more sustainable construction practices.

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Prestressing Technology

At Knife River Prestress, we employ an advanced prestressing process that significantly enhances the structural efficiency and durability of concrete. This process involves pretensioning steel strands, around which concrete is then cast. After the concrete achieves overnight strength, the strands are carefully cut, releasing the tension. This action transfers the stress from the steel to the concrete, effectively compressing it and allowing it to support greater loads. This innovative method reduces the overall concrete required, up to 50% when adding in composite design solutions, leading to lighter, more resource-efficient structures without compromising strength or integrity.

About Nanocellulose
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Sustainable Careers

At Knife River Prestress, we are committed to fostering sustainable careers through a transparent, skill-based pay structure, which ensures fair compensation and motivates personal growth. By transitioning construction activities from urban areas to specialized manufacturing facilities, we not only minimize our environmental impact but also provide our employees with stable, predictable work locations. This stability supports a balanced work-life environment, allowing our team to plan their lives with certainty. We empower our workforce with control over their professional development and earnings, offering clear pathways for advancement and year-round employment to ensure financial stability and continuous growth.

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Sustainability Team

Knife River employs a holistic team approach to sustainability, integrating specialists across Prestress’s Commercial, Engineering, and Operations teams. This collaborative strategy enables us to establish sustainability benchmarks and support our customers and market teams in meeting their environmental goals. By working across various product lines—including prestress, ready mix, aggregates, and construction—we ensure continuous, incremental improvements in our sustainability practices.

Blake Johnson

Commercial Director
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Zak Perkerewicz

Outside Sales Representative
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