Motivation
In 2020, many countries, including the EU and Japan, declared their commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. This movement has gained momentum, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 100 countries now involved. Despite the significant CO2 emissions of the concrete sector, concrete remains an essential material for human prosperity. To achieve sustainability goals, the world will require concrete structures with minimal CO2 emissions in the near future. Clients and taxpayers may begin to demand that designers, constructors, and owners quantify the CO2 emissions of their projects properly. In this context, the fib must be prepared to lead the change in the structural concrete community. It is essential that the fib shares its knowledge and provides proper methodological approaches to enable a reliable assessment of the environmental impact of concrete structures.
Scope and objective of technical work
To achieve its goal, the SAG will focus on three objectives:
- Establishing a comprehensive database of environmental impact data for structural materials used in concrete structures. The SAG will prioritize data related to the construction stage, but will also develop a strategy to manage data from the operational and maintenance stages, as well as the dismission stage. The data platform will need to be continuously maintained by collecting new data and updating existing data, with a focus on different lifecycle stages in different geographical areas. The SAG will source this data from manufacturers, designers, associations, and other institutions.
- Defining a reliable methodological approach to support designers in quantifying the environmental impact of concrete structure projects. The methodology will be based on LCA principles and focus on the requirements and performance of structures. The approach will be easily implementable and usable in the design process, with a common set of indicators and proper metrics established to compare data and allow for the definition of benchmarks. The methodology may also identify a Product Category Rule, according to the ISO 14000 series, to enable designers to produce EPDs for individual concrete structures.
- Identifying the best tools and knowledge to guide the decision-making process towards optimal structural solutions in terms of environmental impact while still satisfying expected structural and functional performances. The SAG will suggest proper optimization strategies and procedures and identify best practices for different structures, in various market conditions and geographical areas.
Commission Chair
Deputy Chair
Figure 1. Timeframe for carbon neutrality by 2050.
TG.SAG1.1 - fib Database
The TG.SAG.1 aim to establish a comprehensive database of environmental impact data for structural materials used in concrete structures. The TG.SAG.1 will prioritize data related to the construction stage, but it will also develop a strategy to manage data from the operational and maintenance stages, as well as the dismission stage. The data platform will need to be continuously maintained by collecting new data and updating existing data, with a focus on different lifecycle stages in different geographical areas. The TG.SAG.1 will source this data from manufacturers, designers, associations, and other institutions.
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TG. SAG1.2 - Sustainable Concrete Structures
The TG.SAG.2 aims to contribute to global carbon neutrality by 2050 through the further development of design practices for concrete structures. The objectives of TG.SAG.2 are:
- Identifying the best practices and optimal structural solutions in terms of environmental impact, fit for various market conditions and geographical areas, while exploring a full range of material, structural, and technological innovations to enhance the sustainability of concrete structures.
- Enabling performance-based design of sustainable structures in a life cycle perspective and consistently implementing the fib Model Code safety philosophy across a wide range of innovative solutions
- Identifying the best tools to guide the decision-making process towards optimal structural solutions in terms of environmental impact, while meeting the desired structural, functional, and economic performance requirements
Through the dissemination of best practices and methodologies, we aim to facilitate knowledge exchange and foster collaboration among stakeholders in the construction industry. Through enabling performance-based design of concrete structures, we will offer a more rational, efficient, and tailored approach to structural engineering, enabling designers to customize the design objectives based on the specific needs of the structure and its intended use. Through integrating multiple aspects of sustainability into the decision-making process, we will guide designers towards optimal structural solutions that minimize negative environmental consequences while meeting the necessary structural, functional and economic performance criteria. Ultimately, this will empower industry stakeholders to embrace innovative solutions for concrete structures and enable the collective commitment of industry professionals towards the goal of creating sustainable concrete structures that contribute to a more sustainable built environment.
The TG.SAG.2 is complementary to TG.SAG.1 and will carry out its work in a collaborative process involving all relevant fib Commissions and Task Group. Additionally, interaction will be sought with the relevant expert groups within RILEM and JCSS, and the outcomes of TG.SAG.2 activities will be shared with GLOBE (Global Consensus on Sustainability in the Built Environment).
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