The primary purpose of this program is to educate attendees on the principles, tools, and practices used to understand, quantify, and reduce the embodied carbon of concrete. The program provides a structured introduction to how carbon considerations are integrated into modern concrete design, material selection, specification, and construction, while maintaining required performance, durability, and constructability.
The program addresses the technical foundations of embodied carbon in concrete, including the role of cementitious binders, mixture design, and structural efficiency, as well as the use of Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), and Product Category Rules (PCRs) to measure and communicate environmental impacts. Participants are introduced to current and emerging codes, standards, and policy frameworks including ACI Code 323 Low Carbon Concrete along with an overview of on-going international and federal initiatives that influence low-carbon concrete requirements and decision-making. The certificate further examines practical strategies for reducing carbon at the material, mixture, and structural system levels; the use of performance-based and carbon-focused specifications; and the responsibilities and risks associated with achieving low-carbon objectives in practice. Emerging innovations, including high-performance materials, durability-driven design, and circular-economy approaches, are discussed to provide context for future pathways toward low- and zero-carbon concrete.