In a significant stride toward carbon neutrality, McGill University has taken a groundbreaking initiative to develop a sustainable concrete design standard aimed at reducing the substantial carbon footprint associated with concrete—the widely used building material. Led by Facilities Management and Ancillary Services (FMAS), this innovative standard seeks to address the environmental impact of concrete in major construction projects on the McGill campus.
Concrete production is notorious for its high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to approximately eight percent of global emissions annually. The primary culprit is cement, constituting around 90 percent of these emissions. The energy-intensive production process and the chemical transformation of raw materials in cement production release significant amounts of carbon dioxide.
Phillipe St-Jean, Senior Sustainable Construction Officer at FMAS, emphasized the critical role concrete plays in emissions, especially in new constructions. The new design standard specifically targets on-site concrete pouring, imposing stringent yet achievable carbon reduction requirements. The focus lies on reinforcing bars, commonly made of steel, and limitations on the cradle-to-site embodied carbon of the concrete itself.
FMAS collaborated with global sustainable development and engineering firm Arup, along with local concrete testing and analysis firm Englobe, leveraging funding from McGill’s Sustainability Projects Fund. St-Jean stated that the limitations were established in consultation with external experts, ensuring a thorough assessment of the concrete industry’s ability in Quebec to meet them.
Matt Humphries, Associate Principal and Project Director at Arup, commended McGill’s leadership and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to contribute to minimizing embodied carbon. The collaboration has allowed Arup to tailor global knowledge to local conditions, fostering sustainable practices.
While acknowledging the existence of sustainable concrete standards elsewhere, McGill’s unique approach considers local climate and market conditions. The goal is to inspire industry-wide adoption of eco-friendly practices. More than a dozen large organizations have already expressed interest in adopting McGill’s standard, influencing market forces in favor of low embodied carbon concrete production and usage.
McGill’s sustainable concrete standard represents one facet of FMAS’s ongoing efforts in building design standards. The team is exploring the possibility of similar standards for other materials, such as steel, and advocating for innovative approaches to reduce overall concrete volume in construction projects.
