Lower Carbon Concrete – Getting It Right From The Start

Monday, November 4, 2024  8:30 AM - 10:30 AM, Grand BR Salon A

Designers are increasingly being charged with incorporating reduced-carbon concrete technologies into projects. For many this presents a challenge to understand these new requirements while still achieving structural design goals and delivering a cost-effective design. The purpose of this session is to discuss the process of delivering reduced-carbon concrete from a design engineer’s perspective.

Learning Objectives:
(1) Learn about GWP benchmarks and thresholds;
(2) Be introduced to performance-based specifications and understand how to incorporate into the design process;
(3) Learn how to approach bidding when trying to meet both structural performance and sustainability targets;
(4) Examine a case study where low-carbon concrete was used while attaining the necessary structural performance.

Performance-Oriented Specifications

Presented By: Anne Ellis
Affiliation: Anne Ellis, LLC
Description: Performance-oriented specifications are often cited as a key tool for achieving carbon reduction. Although this is true, the construction industry has little experience developing or implementing performance-oriented specifications. This talk will address these key points.

Competitive Bidding with Double Bottom-Line Evaluations

Presented By: Donald Davies
Affiliation: Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Description: Reduced-carbon construction adds new considerations for anyone bidding on such projects. Uncertainty in measurement protocols and little to no experience with achieving reduced-carbon goals, amongst other challenges, adds unknowns to the bidding process. This talk will address considerations to help address these new variables in the bid process.

Case Study – Recent Demonstrations Using Performance-Specified Cements in Flatwork

Presented By: Todd Nelson
Affiliation: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Description: Implementing reduced-carbon concrete is a stepwise process that includes demonstrating new technologies to owners and contractors. Demonstrations provide lessons-learned for all stakeholders. This talk will share experiences from a recent demonstration using very low GWP cements in a concrete flatwork demonstration.