Lower carbon concretes in BS 8500:2023

The key UK standard for the specification of concrete, BS 8500, has been revised. This new 2023 version allows for many more different cements, giving increased options for achieving lower carbon concrete, and represents one of the most significant changes to the traditional ‘recipe’ for making concrete since the 1980s. If used across all UK construction sites the use of these multi-component, lower carbon cements and concretes could save one million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, and is an important milestone for the UK concrete and cement industry’s roadmap to net zero.

This recorded seminar covers the updates to BS 8500 and provides guidance on how to use the new standard within future specifications and projects to reduce the embodied carbon of concrete in new development. 

Programme

Welcome and introduction - Claire Ackerman, Executive Director, Concrete, Mineral Products Association

Time stamp at 4.07: BS 8500: 2023 - the update - Gareth Wake, Director, British Ready-Mixed Concrete Association

The revision to the British Standard for concrete, BS 8500, was published in November 2023. The presentation covers the main changes to the standard and, in particular, the introduction of BS EN 197-5 cements and their importance in helping give a wider range of options for reducing the embodied carbon of concrete.

Time stamp at 36.49: A supplier's perspective on the changes to BS 8500 - Richard Kershaw, Technical Manager - Materials UK, CEMEX

This presentation discusses the supply of concrete with multi-component cements to meet specification requirements from the perspective of the concrete producer.

Time stamp at 53.24: How engineers can use BS 8500 to specify lower carbon concretes - Jenny Burridge, Director, Structural Design, The Concrete Centre

The presentation goes through the process of specifying to the new BS 8500, showing some worked examples and how these have changed with the new revision

Q&A & close