This document discusses embodied carbon in building construction. It provides information on sources of embodied carbon at different stages of construction and from different building materials. Concrete accounts for a large portion of global carbon emissions, but using materials like fly ash and slag in concrete can reduce emissions by 40%. Steel is highly recyclable but new steel production relies on non-recycled material. Timber sequesters carbon and cross-laminated timber buildings have lower embodied carbon than equivalent concrete or steel structures, even accounting for sequestration over the building's lifespan. Material choices, structural form, and efficient use of resources all impact a building's whole life carbon emissions.

1. Grant Stratton
Embodied Structural Carbon

2. Operational Carbon
Whole Life Carbon
75% High Energy Building
Low Energy Building
25%
50% 50%
Embodied Carbon+
2019?25% 75%

3. Finishes
Building Services
Windows
Internals
Other
Foundation
Floor Structure
Roof
External Walls
Heating
Electricity
Cooling
Other
Whole Life Cycle
Source: Sturgis Associates LLP Indicative Whole Life Carbon Emissions
Building = 50% Embodied Carbon
Structure = 25% Whole Life Carbon
Operational Carbon Embodied Carbon

4. EXTRACTION
MANUFACTURE
TRANSPORTATION
CONSTRUCTION
DISPOSAL
CRADLETOGRAVE
CRADLETOSITE
CRADLETO
GATE
Embodied Carbon Life Cycle

5. Embodied Carbon
How Do We Measure Embodied Carbon?
•Cradle to Gate
-Carbon in the manufacture of the components
•Embodied carbon
=Carbon data KgCO2/Kg x Weight of material Kg

6. •Materials
•How we use them
• Structural form
• Quantity
• Quality
• Source
Choices

7. Concrete
•Concrete 2nd to water as the most consumed
substance on Earth
•One tonne of concrete is being used for each
human on earth every year
•Concrete accounts for 2.6% UK & 10% global
carbon dioxide emissions

8. Pulverised FuelAsh
Coal Fired Power Stations
•Concrete strength
•2 million tonnes of PFA/GGBFS is used annually in the UK.
•By replacing portland cement they reduce UK CO2
emissions by nearly 2 million tonnes annually.
•3 million tonnes of PFA is disposed to landfill
•We could double the amount currently used and this would
reduce CO2 emissions by a further 2 million tonnes annually
Concrete Strength and Cement Replacement
Ground Granulated Blast
Furnace Slag
Production of Iron

9. Option Mix Volume TonnesCO2
Flat slab OPC 2700m3 1880
Flat slab 50% GGBS 2700m3 1450
Ribbed slab 50% GGBS 2100m3 1135
Carbon Comparison Concrete Frame
Overall carbon reduction 40%

10. Steel
• Most recycled construction material
• ~90% of steel is recycled
• Demand for steel exceeds supply of
scrap steel by factor 2 and has to be
supplemented by new steel.
• All new steel contain ~ 40% recycled
steel

11. Tonnes of steel:
• Beijing: 45 000
• London: 4 500

12. Sequestration: 0.9t C02 per m3 of timber. Timber

13. Structural Timber

14. Cross Laminated Timber CLT

15. Kingswood Hub Alec French Architects

16. Hayesfield Girls School White Design

17. Hayesfield Girls School White Design

18. Modcell Flying Factory

19. Modcell Delivered to Site Pre-Rendered

20. Hayesfield Girls School White Design

21. Hayesfield Girls School White Design

22. Hayesfield Girls School White Design

23. Embodied Carbon Hayesfield School
-126
159
206
217
-150
-100
-50
0
50
100
150
200
250
Nucleus
(with sequestration)
Nucleus
(without sequestration)
Concrete Scheme Steel scheme
EmbodiedCarbon,kgCO2e/m2
Embodied carbon of structural components, compared to
equivalent steel and concrete schemes

24. Hayesfield Girls School Carbon Sequestration

25. Grant Stratton
Embodied Structural Carbon