Embodied Carbon A construction perspective

John Davies – Sustainability Associate

Davis Langdon, An AECOM Company

Davis Langdon, An AECOM Company

Davis Langdon, An AECOM Company

Thank You Measurement

How do you measure embodied carbon in buildings?

X =

Mass of material Carbon emissions

per kg of material

Carbon footprint

of a material

2.5 kg

concrete

0.134 kg CO2

per kg concrete 0.335 kg CO2

The basic concept!

Simple Right?

How do you measure embodied carbon in buildings?

Well, not quite…

Component

1

Component

2

Component

3

Component

4

Mass

Mass

Mass

Mass

Carbon/

kg

Carbon/

kg

Carbon/

kg

Carbon/

kg

Cost plan

item

Carbon

Item

Buildings can have over 30 main elements each comprised

of potentially 100’s of components

How do you measure embodied carbon in buildings?

A simple example

Holorib

Lightweight

Concrete

Mesh

Reinforcement

Shear Studs

Mass

/m2

Mass

/m3

Mass

/m2

Mass

/nr

Carbon/

kg

Carbon/

kg

Carbon/

kg

Carbon/

kg

Composite

Upper

Floor

Carbon

/m2

How do you measure embodied carbon in buildings?

The Leadenhall Building

Then the ‘sum of the parts’ is then

rapped up to a whole building level –

but you need to know how they all fit

together!!

Thank You The Legislative Push

Legislation

2016 Zero

Carbon

Homes

2019 Zero

Carbon

Non-dom?

Embodied

carbon in

Part L? Green

Book?

What’s on the horizon?

Thank You Market Response

Some of the people who are looking at this also…

Fit with GRI Reporting

Reporting window

In conclusion

• Its expanding the carbon discussion…

• Not well understood by all yet…

• Will start to refocus design and quantification energies…

• Might start to generate a design shift…

• Will set a more holistic mindset for assets…

Thank You Any questions?