Time: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm CT

Thanks to the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association for making this presentation possible.

All market sectors, including concrete, are disclosing sustainability related product or enterprise information in response to recently established market demand. More and more, stakeholders have been increasingly wanting to make better informed and responsible decisions when selecting building materials. In response, the construction industry has been driving greater product transparency through requirements established in green building rating systems, and codes and standards regulation. Now however, these market trends are being upended and appear likely to be impacted by changing
governmental policies and priorities.

This presentation describes how current codes and standards have been driving progress in sustainability and transparency in the built environment with an emphasis on standardized resources available from the concrete industry. Procedures and documentation are explained for the accurate assessment of the global warming potential of various concrete mix designs. Establishing these targets then permits design teams to determine how best to optimize concrete applications to contribute to overall project sustainability goals.

Concluding remarks will describe planned improvement to these tools and the potential impact changes to the direction of nationwide sustainability policies may have on their further refinement.

Continuing education

1.5 HSW AIA LUs

Learning objectives

1. Explain terminology and concepts relevant to sustainability standards, such as environmental product declarations (EPDs), life cycle inventory (LCI), and life cycle assessment (LCA), responsible sourcing and material ingredient disclosure.
2. Assess the roles of ASTM, ASHRAE 189.1, LEED v5, the International Green Construction Code, and Architecture 2030 in driving environmental impact transparency in the AEC industry.
3. Analyze concrete’s contribution to emboided carbon reduction goals outlined in various green building programs and standards.
4. Examine key performance indicators that can provide additional insight into firm health and efficiency.