American Concrete Institute (ACI) said its centre of excellence, NEU, has launched its second low-carbon certificate programme,  Low-Carbon Concrete: 'Fundamentals, Materials, and Innovations'. 

This programme is a complement to NEU’s first certificate, Low-Carbon Concrete: Qualification, Design, and Compliance, and provides comprehensive guidance on reducing the carbon footprint of concrete through strategic material selection, as well as design and construction strategies. It aims to provide the fundamental knowledge needed to understand the carbon footprints of concrete and cement, their lifecycle stages, and key strategies for reducing concrete’s carbon emissions, with particular emphasis on material selection considerations.

The programm delivers thorough information and guidance on choosing low-carbon alternatives for both portland cement binder and other nonbinder materials, including their sources, properties, performance, carbon reduction benefits, limitations, and availability. It also introduces advanced design strategies for producing and placing low-carbon concrete, addresses key implementation challenges, and highlights specification and verification needs.

It closely follows the topics presented in NEU’s publication, The Low-Carbon Concrete Guide: Materials. Users are encouraged to have a copy of NEU's guide available for reference.