What would it mean to be able to look at a bag of concrete, and see its embodied carbon? That’s the goal of the new benchmark rating scheme for concrete, developed by the UK Low Carbon Concrete Group. It will allow suppliers, contractors and developers to consider the carbon footprint of projects, alongside cost and performance.

Novel material types—including ternary concretes and alkali-activated cementitious materials—promise to eliminate many, if not all, of the process emissions associated with producing clinker. But before customers will specify them, they need assurance of their performance. A new approach to concrete standards, BSI Flex Standard 350, provides methods for demonstrating the performance of novel materials, not covered by the traditional standard for concrete types, BS 8500.

The Flex Standard allows industry to develop real world testing, and that has been underway at the Environment Agency’s flood alleviation scheme in Hexham. Here, the agency has partnered with contractor BAM Nuttall and supplier Tarmac to trial low carbon materials, and has seen impressive results.

Guests

Andy Powell, innovation manager, UK Environment Agency

Ruth Young, national framework manager, BAM Nuttall

Robert Gossling, ​​head of commercial engineering solutions, Tarmac

Partner

Tarmac