Specifying Low Carbon

Concrete

Jenny Burridge Head of Structural Engineering

Concrete
 Outline

• Specifying the correct exposure class

• Specification methods

• Cements and combinations

• Aggregates

• Use of admixtures

• Material efficiency

• Further information
Intended Working Life

BS EN 1990: 2002 ‘Eurocode – Basis of structural design’

• Temporary structures 10 years

• Replaceable structural parts 10–25 years

• Agricultural and similar structures 15–30 years

• Building structures and other common structures 50 years

• Monumental buildings; Bridges; Civil engineering structures 100 years

Intended Working Life
Intended Working Life
Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea

XF: Freeze-thaw attack

AC: Chemical attack

Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea

XF: Freeze-thaw attack

AC: Chemical attack

Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea

XF1: Moderate water saturation
(no de-icing agent)
XF2: Moderate water saturation
XF: Freeze-thaw attack (de-icing agent)
XF3: High water saturation,
(no de-icing agent)
XF4: High water saturation
AC: Chemical attack (de-icing agent)
Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea

XF: Freeze-thaw attack

AC: Chemical attack

 Specification Method

• Designated concrete

• Designed concrete

• Prescribed concrete

• Standardised prescribed concrete

• Proprietary concrete
Designated Concretes

• Simple and reliable form of specification, widely used

• Strength, durability performance requirements
specified
• Maximum aggregate size and consistency specified

• Producer can vary cement and combination types,

aggregates etc.

• Cannot be used in presence of chlorides

Typical uses of designated concrete
Designated Concrete
BS 8500-2: 2019 (Table 6)
Designed Concretes
• Permit flexibility
• Suitable for most applications
• Strength, allowable cement types; water/cement
ratios; use of recycled or secondary aggregates are
specified

• Appropriate for concrete with focus on eCO2

• To be used for specification of visual cast insitu
concrete
Prescribed Concretes

• Exact composition of concrete specified

• Specifier takes full design responsibility including
testing
Standardised Prescribed Concretes

• Small construction sites, with small scale batching.

• Strength is not of critical importance

• Do not use for low carbon concrete

Proprietary Concretes
• Developed by concrete producer as a proprietary
product
• Composition not disclosed.
• Specified performance requirements confirmed
• Low eCO2 concretes available
• Used for pre-cast concrete specifications
Life cycle stages (BS EN 15978)

From: IStructE:
How to
calculate
embodied
carbon
Where is the CO2 in concrete?

Paul Astle: How can we reduce

the embodied carbon in
structural concrete? The
Structural Engineer Feb 2021
Embodied CO2

Reinforcement: this
figure assumes locally
sourced reinforcement.
IStructE guide uses
760kgeCO2/tonne)
 Cement Specification

Portland cement Portland cement

Type Addition Type Addition
replacement, % replacement, %

CEM I ~ 0–5 IIB-V 25 – 35

Fly ash
Silica fume 6 – 10 IVB-V 36 – 55

Fly ash 6 – 20 IIB-S 21 – 35

IIA
Limestone
plus either IIIA GGBS 36 – 65
6 - 20
ggbs, fly ash
or pozzalana
IIIB 66 – 80
IIB-P 21 – 35
Pozzalana
IVB-P 36 – 55
Portland Cement

Cement is an ingredient of concrete.

The ‘glue’ that holds the mix
together
Components of Ordinary Portland Cement
(CEM1):
• Limestone or chalk
• Clay/Shale
• Sand
• Gypsum
Heated together at high temperature
GGBS

• Ground Granulated Blast Furnace

Slag (GGBS) – by-product from iron

• Approx 1/3 all UK ready-mixed

concrete deliveries contain GGBS.

• 6-80% replacement of OPC can be

used, depending on application

• lower early-age temperature rise and

slower early strength gain

• Below 35-40% no impact on striking

times of formwork
GGBS

• reduces eCO2
(50% GGBS reduces eCO2 of
concrete by 40%)
• recycled material so
improves BREEAM and
Green Guide rating
• inherent pale, creamy
colour
• Reflectance level increased

Persistence Works, Sheffield

GGBS

• 50% GGBS - cast insitu frame

City of Westminster College

Schmidt Hammer Lassen / Buro Happold

Fly Ash

• By-product from electricity generation

sourced from coal fired power stations

• Used widely in block manufacture

• Improves workability and durability

• 6-55% possible depending on

application

• lower early-age temperature rise and

slower early strength gain

• Below 35-40% no impact on striking

times of formwork
Fly Ash

• reduces ECO2
(30% fly ash reduces ECO2 of
concrete by 20%)

•recycled material so
improves BREEAM and Green
Guide rating
•inherent smokey grey colour

Angel building
AHMM / AKT
Other cementitious materials

Silica Fume :
• By product of silicon manufacture
• Extremely fine powder
• Generally limited to high strength
concretes or in very aggressive
environmental conditions

Limestone fines:
•To produce Portland limestone cement
•Typically limited to 6-10% replacement
•Can be put into a ternary blend with
GGBS or fly ash
Ternary cements

• BS8500-1:2019 allows the use of ternary cements except in XF3, XF4,

DC3 and DC4:
• Portland cement, ggbs and limestone (up to 20%)
• Portland cement, fly ash and limestone (up to 20%)
• Allows the use of pozzolans
• Natural pozzolana
• Natural calcined pozzolana
• Pozzolanic cements
Strength development
160
90 day
140

28 day
120

Strength ratio, 28 days = 100 7 day

100
3 day
80

60
CEM I
CIIA-D 8% silica fume + SP
40 CIIA-L 15% limestone
CIIB-V 30% fly ash
CIIIA 50% ggbs
CIIIB 70% ggbs
20 CIVB-V 50% fly ash

0
1 10 100
Age, days
56 day strength

• Concrete continues to
gain strength after 28
days
• When using more
additions the strength
gain is slower
• 56 day strength can be
used where appropriate
• Can save up to
10kgeCO2/m3 depending
on the cement type.
Embodied CO2 of cements
Cement Combination Secondary Main Constituent Embodied CO2
(smc) or Addition
Factory made cement CEM I and addition combined at smc content Low – High, (kg
concrete plant Low – High Content % CO2/ tonne)

CEM I 930
Portland cement
CEM II/A-LL or L CIIA-LL or L 6 - 20 880 - 750
Portland limestone cement limestone
CEM II/A-V CIIA-V 6 - 20 870 - 750
Portland fly ash cement fly ash
CEM II/B-V CIIB-V 21 - 35 730 - 610
Portland fly ash cement fly ash
CEM II/B-S CIIB-S 21 - 35 740 - 620
Portland slag cement ggbs
CEM III/A CIIIA 36 - 65 610 - 360
Blastfurnace cement ggbs
CEM III/B CIIIB 66 - 80 340 - 230
Blastfurnace cement ggbs
CEM IV/B-V CIVB-V 36 - 55 590 - 420
Siliceous fly ash cement fly ash
Reinforcement schemes

BAR eco-reinforcement scheme:

• Responsibly sourced to BES6001
• EAF

CARES Sustainable Constructional Steel scheme:

• Responsibly sourced to BS 8902
• EPDs
Aggregates
• Major component of concrete by volume
• Inherently low carbon
• Mostly naturally occurring, local resource
• Also recycled aggregate (RA) crushed
concrete aggregate (CCA) and secondary
aggregates
• 28% of all aggregate in UK is recycled or
secondary aggregate (highest in Europe)
• Recycled aggregate concrete will tend to
be higher in carbon
• Concretes with smaller aggregates will
tend to be higher in carbon
Recycled Aggregates: Types
• Recycled aggregate (RA)- Resulting from reprocessing of inorganic
material previously used in construction

• Crushed concrete aggregate (CCA) – Recycled aggregate principally

comprising crushed concrete

• Secondary aggregates - Arising from other processes eg: blast furnace

and zinc slag; foundry sand; slate aggregate; china clay sand or stent
Recycled aggregates

CCA

CCA

•Local virgin aggregates will have lower eCO2 than RA transported longer
distances (over 15km by road)
Use of Recycled Aggregates

• Recycled Aggregates are efficiently used

as hardcore and in landscaping
• Very little (effectively none) goes into
landfill
• Consistency of supply and source material
are necessary for use in concrete
• Testing regimes for quality control is more
rigorous than for natural/primary
aggregates
Secondary aggregates

Granite sand/aggregate
(formerly known as stent)

• Waste granite rock material

that has been separated from
Kaolin (china clay) by high
pressure water jets.
Secondary aggregates

Lytag:
• Sintered pulverised fuel
ash lightweight aggregate
• Weight of structural
concrete reduced by 25%
Admixtures
• Widely accepted as materials that
contribute to the production of
durable and cost-effective
concrete structures
• Small dosages <5% by mass of
cement
• Typically <1% eCO2 of concrete
• Can assist with:
• reducing overall eCO2
• reduced water use
• extending design life of
concrete
Example of use of admixtures

BS 8500 Designed concrete

Strength requirement = C32/40
• Corrosion induced by carbonation
XC3/4 Moderate humidity or cyclic wet and dry
cover = 25 + Δc mm
• From BS 8500-1: 2019 Table A.4 (50 years) then a maximum w/c of 0.55
and a minimum cement content of 260 kg/m3 is recommended.
Strength requirement = C32/40

Example of the cement content (kg/m3) C32/40 at S3 slump with a

marine sand and gravel aggregate

Water High range Cement

No reducing water reducing reduction
Cement type
admixture admixture admixture with HRWRA
(WRA) (HRWRA)

CEM I 315 285 250 55

CIIA-LL (15% limestone) 325 295 260 65
CIIB-V (30% fly ash) 335 300 270 65
CIIIA (50% ggbs) 325 295 260 65
S3 slump class = 80 to 180 mm from spot samples on initial discharge

Cementitious content reduced to minimum of 260 kg/m3

Material efficiency

• Loading
• Grids
• Structural system
• Utilisation
• Pre-stressing
• Pre-casting
• Cantilevers
Comparing options – grid spacing
SDL: 1.5kN/m2
Imposed: 2.5kN/m2
Edge: 10kN/m
10 storeys

32%
9x9m grid reduction in 6x6m grid
1,047 tCO2e 710 tCO2e
CO2e
Sustainability Performance

• 10th pan-industry sustainability report

• Measures data and sets targets over

various sustainability criteria

• Industry commitment to a Sustainable

Construction Strategy

• 90% surveyed concrete responsibly

sourced
Further information
Specifying Sustainable Concrete
Top tips for specifying concrete

• Specify appropriately for the exposure class

• Don’t over-specify the strength
• Use additions
• Specify 56 day strengths where appropriate
• Use admixtures
• Allow but don’t over-specify the recycled content
• Don’t specify a small aggregate size
• Specify responsibly sourced concrete
• Specify responsibly sourced reinforcement
• Use precast concrete to reduce waste on site
• Be efficient in the use of materials
Thank you