A new ACI-backed certificate offers practical guidance on lower-carbon concrete materials and construction strategies – areas gaining importance for general contractors.
Canadian general contractors facing growing demands to reduce embodies carbon in construction projects may find a new training program from NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete relevant to their work.
NEU and ACI University have launched Low-Carbon: Fundamentals, Materials, and Innovations – a certificate program covering the fundamentals of concrete and cement carbon footprints, lifecycle stages and strategies for reducing emissions.
While the program is U.S.-based, its focus on material selection, concrete performance and project implementation is applicable to contractors everywhere working with lower-carbon concrete.
Materials and specifications
The program provides guidance with respect to selecting lower-carbon alternatives for Portland cement binders and other concrete materials, covering material sources, properties, performance, carbon-reduction benefits, limitations and availability.
For Canadian general contractors, the emphasis on specifications and verification could be particularly useful as owners and project teams increasingly consider embodied carbon when setting project requirements.
In addition, the program also addresses design and placement strategies for lower-carbon concrete, as well as implementation challenges that can arise during construction.
Building industry knowledge
The new certificate complements NEU’s earlier Lower-carbon Concrete: Qualification, Design, and Compliance program. It’s curriculum closely follows NEU’s The Lower-Carbon Concrete Guide: Materials.
Established by the American Concrete Institution in 2022, NEU works to advance low-carbon and sustainable concrete technologies across the industry.
The certificate is available through ACI University and is open to construction professionals seeking additional knowledge of low-carbon concrete practices.
Register for the program here.