Florida Construction News staff writer
The Smart Surfaces Coalition, CSA Group, the World Cement Association and the American Public Health Association have announced the launch of CarbonStar, a new binational standard for measuring the carbon impact of concrete.
Officially titled CSA/ANSI R118:2024, CarbonStar: Concrete Carbon Intensity Quantification and Verification, this standard offers a straightforward yet rigorous way to compare the carbon footprint of concrete. Concrete, the most widely used building material globally, is responsible for about eight per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“CarbonStar is the only binational standard that quantifies and verifies concrete’s carbon intensity,” said Greg Kats, CEO of the Smart Surfaces Coalition. “We’re working with cities representing more than 10 per cent of the U.S. population, and these cities are committed to reducing pollution and increasing resilience.
“CarbonStar is crucial because it provides a user-friendly framework to help cities accurately assess and reduce the carbon impact of their concrete.”
Developed through collaboration among industry, government, academic and other experts since 2020, CarbonStar is now an official standard in both the U.S. and Canada. It meets the accreditation requirements of both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada.
“The CarbonStar standard gives project owners a reliable way to measure and specify the carbon intensity of concrete,” said Ian Riley, CEO of the World Cement Association, explained. “It also offers a roadmap for adopting low-carbon and carbon-sequestering concrete materials, putting sustainability at the heart of construction projects.
“This is a significant advancement for both the construction and concrete industries.”
By establishing a universal approach to measuring concrete’s carbon intensity, CarbonStar allows for consistent carbon assessments across various concrete products, regardless of production methods or materials used. This consistency is why San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has already adopted CarbonStar for its $11-billion infrastructure upgrade.
“CarbonStar allows design, construction and concrete manufacturing professionals to select low-embodied-carbon mixes, helping reduce the environmental impact of our building projects,” said Anthony Bernheim, SFO’s Healthy and Resilient Buildings Program manager. “It’s a rigorous yet simple method for measuring concrete’s carbon intensity.”
The CarbonStar standards committee includes representatives from key organizations such as the General Services Administration, which oversees U.S. federal buildings, and the Department of General Services, which manages California’s public buildings and technical experts from both the U.S. and Canada, including major building owners. CarbonStar is modeled on the successful Energy Star program.
“This standard is helping drive innovation not only to combat global warming but also to reduce harmful pollution that affects public health,” said Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “As the leading voice for public health in the U.S., the APHA recognizes the severe health costs of climate change, especially for the most vulnerable populations.”
CarbonStar includes a calculator that allows users to directly assess the embodied carbon in concrete. The standard and its calculator work in conjunction with existing tools like Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), providing consistent and reliable carbon impact measurements for various concrete types and mixes.
