Title:
The Top 10 Ways to Reduce Concrete's Carbon Footprint
Author(s):
Rashid-Sumar
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
10/23/2022
Abstract:
Several key concrete industry organizations have committed to achieving carbon neutrality in the coming decades. ACI established its Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete in early 2022. The Portland Cement Association (PCA) released its Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality in late 2021. Advancement and adoption of emerging technologies like direct carbon capture are a step in the right direction, but achieving this lofty goal will also require changes to design codes, standards and specifications. How to implement these changes is a matter of ongoing debate. Codes and standards will also need to change to accommodate nontraditional materials like alternative cements, supplementary cementitious materials, nonmetallic reinforcement, and other emerging technologies that can reduce the carbon footprint of the concrete but are not always compatible with current specifications. This forum will address the strengths and weaknesses of current design codes, standards, and specifications with respect to industry goals for carbon neutraility, and identify opportunities to improve these critical documents to better support the industry's ongoing effort to decarbonize concrete.