Sarah Gudeman’s Post

I remember 10+ years ago, Adam R. Christensen, P.E. and I had a coffee chat about “what more can structural engineers do to support sustainability projects” - and while I know neither of us saw this future, here we are as an industry. Some facts about #concrete and it’s associated #embodiedcarbon to start your morning… + concrete is comprised of primary ingredients: sand, gravel, limestone, and water. + concrete is the second-highest consumed product on earth, after water. + in the United States, annual concrete production is roughly equivalent to 2 tons for every American. + every pound of concrete production results in nearly an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emissions 1 lb concrete = 0.93 lbs CO2. + the global concrete industry accounts for roughly 8% of the worlds’ TOTAL carbon emissions. + The carbon intensity of concrete is the result of two processes in its manufacture: 1. Making cement requires heating limestone to temperatures around 2550°F (1400°C), and while there are electric kilns that could run on renewable energy, this is only 40% of the greenhouse, gas emissions from the production process… 2. the other 60% is literally the carbon dioxide that is cooked out of the limestone as it is heated. So the majority of concrete massive carbon footprint is inherent to the chemistry of the manufacturing process. Summarized from “the other carbon” via Thomas "Tom" Lewis, PE, JD and Alastair MacGregor’s #FutureReady. #embodiedcarbon #carbonemissions #carbonfootprint #ESG #netzerocarbon #netzerotransition #concreteconstruction