News Detail

Sustainability Takes the Spotlight at the American Concrete Institute

12/16/2008

In continued efforts to be a resource to concrete design and construction professionals, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) announces several goals, programs, and initiatives to provide knowledge on the sustainable properties of concrete to its members and the concrete industry as a whole

ACI agrees with a common definition (Brundtland Commission, 1987) of sustainable development: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In regards to the concrete industry, sustainable practices can include the reuse and recycling of concrete, the long-term durability of concrete structures, the use of pervious concrete to manage storm water runoff, the reflectivity of concrete to reduce both the heat island effect and demand for additional lighting, the use of supplementary cementitious materials such as slag, fly ash, and silica fume to reduce cement content, and the use of insulated concrete forms (ICFs) and concrete’s intrinsic thermal mass to reduce heating and cooling costs of concrete structures.

Together with ACI’s Technical Activities Committee, Education Activities Committee, and Certification Programs Committee, ACI’s Board Advisory Committee on Sustainable Development (BAC-SD), organized in 2000, is taking the lead to ensure the fulfillment of sustainability goals stated in ACI’s Strategic Plan. These goals include the expansion of the understanding of sustainability issues among ACI’s membership and the increase of sustainability-related content in ACI’s documents and products.

During the ACI Spring 2008 Convention in Los Angeles, Calif., the BAC-SD, led by ACI vice president and committee chair Richard Stehly, recommended the creation of a new technical committee, ACI 130, Sustainability of Concrete. The group, comprised of 31 concrete professionals and also led by Stehly, held its inaugural meeting during the ACI Fall 2008 Convention in St. Louis, Mo., on Nov. 3. Its mission is to provide technical knowledge on the sustainable properties of concrete and concrete applications, and its goals include quickly developing a report/guide that will contain current information regarding concrete’s environmental footprint, data to input into evaluation models or calculators, and strategies or methods to reduce the environmental footprint.

In addition to the formation of the new technical committee on the sustainability of concrete, leaders from the BAC-SD met with ACI technical committee chairs to discuss and encourage the increased content of sustainability issues in their technical documents and products to be released by ACI.

“The sustainability issue is not a new one to the American Concrete Institute,” said Richard Stehly, Chair of both ACI BAC-SD and Committee 130, Sustainability of Concrete. “But with the ever-increasing demand for the concrete industry to address its environmental footprint, ACI is ramping up its efforts to provide its members and the entire industry with the most up-to-date and innovative information on how to use concrete in an environmentally-responsible manner to create durable, innovative, and functional concrete structures that will benefit generations to come.”

In October, ACI launched a survey to its members in efforts to obtain more information on the perceptions of the concrete industry on sustainability, as well as to learn what sustainability-related resources the industry may benefit from. After an overwhelming response of more than 1100, ACI was able to obtain a variety of responses that will guide future efforts at the organization to satisfy the needs of its members and the industry. Some results of the survey included:

• 90 percent of respondents said they were at least somewhat interested personally in sustainability and sustainability issues, with 70 percent being very interested.
• 66 percent of respondents said they were at least somewhat involved in sustainability and sustainability issues professionally.
• 745 members responded to an open-ended question on which concrete-related sustainability topics they would like ACI to provide information.  Popular answers included architectural concrete, cement production, durability, recycling, repair, and solar reflectance.
• 598 members responded to an open-ended question on which sustainability-related products and services would be valuable.  Popular answers included webinars, certification programs, online discussion forums, more CD-ROMs and publications, and a concrete rating system.

ACI has also launched a new Web page, www.green.concrete.org, to highlight the publications, opportunities for involvement, and case studies the Institute offers its members and customers. Some of the sustainability-related documents from ACI available for purchase at this time include:Guide to Thermal Properties of Concrete and Masonry Systems (122R-02)

• Use of Fly Ash in Concrete (232.2R-03)
• Slag Cement in Concrete and Mortar (233R-03)
• Guide for the Use of Silica Fume in Concrete (234R-06)
• Code Requirements for Environmental Engineering Concrete Structures (350-06)
• Guide for the Analysis, Design, and Construction of Elevated Concrete and Composite Steel-Concrete Water Storage Tanks (371R-08) 
• Pervious Concrete (522R-06)
• Removal and Reuse of Hardened Concrete (555R-01)
• Recycling Concrete and Other Materials for Sustainable Development (SP-219)

Additionally, ACI also offers its members multiple opportunities for involvement through membership on technical committees that deal with such issues.  Current technical committees that frequently address sustainable development issues include:

• Thermal Properties and Performance of Concrete and Masonry Systems (122)
• Sustainability of Concrete (130)
• Proportioning Concrete Mixtures (211)
• Fly Ash and Natural Pozzolans in Concrete (232)
• Ground Slag in Concrete (233)
• Silica Fume in Concrete (234)
• Material Science of Concrete (236)
• Environmental Engineering Concrete Structures (350)
• Rehabilitation (364)
• Service Life Production (365)
• Pervious Concrete (522)
• Concrete with Recycled Materials (555)
• Design and Construction with Insulated Concrete Forms (560)    

At the upcoming ACI Convention in San Antonio, TX, this March, ACI is planning a series of sessions on building sustainably with slag cement and concrete as a sustainable material, plus a LEED training with special emphasis on concrete.  Numerous other meetings will discuss concrete and sustainability.  Visit www.ACIconvention.org for details on these events and meetings. 

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Advancing concrete knowledge —Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., USA, members of the American Concrete Institute advance concrete knowledge by producing consensus, concrete-related codes, specifications, guides, and reports; creating and administering certification programs that support individuals in the concrete industry; delivering seminars and distance learning opportunities; publishing Concrete International magazine; and producing two peer-reviewed technical journals. For additional information, visit www.concrete.org.