Cement and concrete decarbonisation roadmaps – a meta-analysis within the context of the United Kingdom

Marsh, Alastair; Dillon, Thomas; Bernal, Susan

doi:10.21809/rilemtechlett.2023.163

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 27 publications

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“…Secondly, reducing the quantities of cement and concrete consumed is a decarbonisation strategy which is widely acknowledged in academic perspectives but less so in industrial perspectives (Marsh et al 2023). But given the importance of cement and concrete consumption in providing housing and physical infrastructure, and economic growth, the question of who should consume less cement and concrete is controversial.…”

Section: Inequalities In Relation To Decarbonisation and Sustainable ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Inequalities in the production and use of cement and concrete, and their consequences for decarbonisation and sustainable development

Marsh,

Parker,

Mdee

et al. 2024

Environ. Res.: Infrastruct. Sustain.

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Concrete is vital for constructing infrastructure and housing, and cement is the key binding material within concrete. Concrete is an enabler of development, as concrete structures are key to delivering societal services in many sectors. Much recent research on cement and concrete has focussed on technical solutions to decarbonisation; however, there is a knowledge gap around how cement and concrete intersect with other facets of sustainable development. This study explores the intersection of cement and concrete with inequalities, both through their production as commodities and through their use in built assets. An exploratory analysis of this issue was carried out, comprising an evaluation of industry associations’ conceptions of sustainable development and inequalities, an analysis of underlying power dynamics for several inequality issues using Lukes’ three dimensional framework of power, and a reflection on how certain inequalities may pose risks to achieving decarbonisation and sustainable development aims. Our study shows that industry associations’ narratives around sustainable development generally lack a detailed vision for addressing inequalities, in comparison to their focus on decarbonisation. We find that inequalities are a systemic issue for cement and concrete, spanning intra- and inter-national scales, and all three dimensions of power. These findings highlight that several inequalities are consequential from structural, underlying inequalities, whilst other inequalities are specific to the sectors themselves. The cement and concrete sectors are recommended to develop their conception of inequalities in relation to sustainable development: this can help reduce inequalities within their own workforces more effectively, and also reduce the risks of missing their decarbonisation targets. For large, complex socio-technical systems, such as cement and concrete, it is vital for consideration of inequalities to inform strategic planning with regards to decarbonisation and sustainable development.

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Section: Inequalities In Relation To Decarbonisation and Sustainable ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Inequalities in the production and use of cement and concrete, and their consequences for decarbonisation and sustainable development

Marsh,

Parker,

Mdee

et al. 2024

Environ. Res.: Infrastruct. Sustain.

Self Cite

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Parametric study on the decarbonization potential of structural system and concrete mix design choices for mid-rise concrete buildings

Hafez,

Bajić,

Aidarov

et al. 2024

Mater Struct

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Mid-rise reinforced concrete buildings are projected to continue being the predominant typology for urban development. Thus, reducing the carbon footprint of such buildings is critical for achieving a sustainable built environment. Reducing the amount of concrete and steel in a building through structural and mix design optimization is identified as a primary resource efficiency strategy. This paper is among the first to present evidence of the decarbonization potential of these dematerialization strategies on a building level. The study combines structural design choices such as slab system design, steel reinforcement optimization and span width with materials-based strategies, such as low binder concrete and low-carbon binders. For each scenario, material quantities are calculated following design prescriptions by EN1992–1–1 while state-of-the art life cycle inventory data are adopted to calculate the carbon footprint. Results show that shifting towards more efficient structural systems (i.e., waffle slab system) could save up to 20% of the carbon footprint on the building level compared to more traditional systems, such as slab on beams and flat slabs. In addition, reducing the spans from 7.5 to 5 m can save up to 20% more. Finally, the use of low-clinker cement in low-binder concrete can save another 50% in terms of CO2 impact per built-up area. Realistically, results of the case study concluded that implementing these three strategies could reduce the typical 232 kg CO2e/m2 value of the carbon footprint of structural elements of a mid-rise building up to only 58 kg CO2e/m2, i.e., a four-fold reduction.

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Parametric study on the decarbonization potential of structural system and concrete mix design choices for mid-rise concrete buildings

Hafez,

Bajić,

Aidarov

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Mid-rise reinforced concrete buildings are projected to continue being the predominant typology for urban development. Thus, reducing the carbon footprint of such buildings is critical for achieving a sustainable built environment. Reducing the amount of concrete and steel in a building through structural and mix design optimization is identified as a primary resource efficiency strategy. This paper is among the first to present evidence of the decarbonization potential of these dematerialization strategies on a building level. The study combines structural design choices such as slab system design, steel reinforcement optimization and span width with materials-based strategies, such as low binder concrete and low-carbon binders. For each scenario, material quantities are calculated following design prescriptions by EN1992-1-1 while state-of-the art life cycle inventory data are adopted to calculate the carbon footprint. Results show that shifting towards more efficient structural systems (i.e., waffle slab system) could save up to 20% of the carbon footprint on the building level compared to more traditional systems, such as slab on beams and flat slabs. In addition, reducing the spans from 7.5 to 5 m can save up to 20% more. Finally, the use of low-clinker cement in low-binder concrete can save another 50% in terms of CO2 impact per built-up area. Realistically, results of the case study concluded that implementing these three strategies could reduce the typical 232 kg CO2e/m2 value of the carbon footprint of structural elements of a mid-rise building up to only 58 kg CO2e/m2, i.e., a four-fold reduction.

show abstract

Cement and concrete decarbonisation roadmaps – a meta-analysis within the context of the United Kingdom

Cited by 4 publications

References 27 publications

Inequalities in the production and use of cement and concrete, and their consequences for decarbonisation and sustainable development

Inequalities in the production and use of cement and concrete, and their consequences for decarbonisation and sustainable development

Parametric study on the decarbonization potential of structural system and concrete mix design choices for mid-rise concrete buildings

Parametric study on the decarbonization potential of structural system and concrete mix design choices for mid-rise concrete buildings

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