Low Carbon Concrete Requirements - DCCEEW
The purpose of the Low Carbon Concrete Specification is to provide practical requirements for sustainability initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with concrete. Consideration has been made to ensure that all requirements nominated in this specification are able to achieve durability, structural performance (including early age strength and shrinkage requirements), constructability (including pumpability, placement and finishing) and sustainability requirements for any type of concrete construction across the state. This specification has been designed to be used with other project requirements and Australian standards.
This specification includes pathways for compliance with either:
- Reduction in cement use by replacement with supplementary cementitious materials; or
- Assessment of the reduction in carbon emissions when compared to a business as usual case.
This specification also:
- Set limits for the allowable amount of cementitious materials in concrete mixes; and
- Set targets for alternative aggregate materials to be used as a replacement of natural aggregates, with focus on circularity and use of industrial by-products in concrete mixes.
The specification was commissioned and published by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, NSW (DCCEEW) . The specification was authored by Arup Australia, based on a collaboration with DCCEEW and NSW government agencies. The use of the low carbon concrete specifications is not mandatory, the specifications and supporting information are intended as support for NSW government agencies and councils as they seek to address embodied carbon emissions.
Further factsheets and FAQs are included below:
Sign up to the MECLA newsletter today
Keep up to date on upcoming MECLA events, emerging news in the construction sector and everything happening in embodied carbon across Australia.