Proving that slag cement makes the grade in institutional construction, the Clearview Elementary School in Hanover, Pa., is built with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) that are filled with concrete containing as much as 60-percent slag cement replacement. In fact, consultant Scot Horst, principal of 7group, used the project to push for the creation of an Innovation Credit in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. That credit paves the way for other designers to earn credits toward LEED certification by using innovative concrete mixes.

The school is designed to consume one-third less energy than a conventional structure, incorporating numerous energy-efficiency design components that will save an estimated $34,000 annually on energy costs. Opened to students in January 2003, the project is LEED Gold-certified. The building was designed and engineered by L. Robert Kimball & Associates, Eco-Block supplied the ICFs, and Hanover Concrete was the ready-mixed concrete supplier.