The American Concrete Institute has announced goals, programs, and initiatives to provide knowledge on the sustainable properties of concrete to its members and the concrete industry as a whole.
Together with ACI’s Technical Activities Committee, Education Activities Committee, and Certification Programs Committee, ACI’s Board Advisory Committee on Sustainable Development (BAC-SD) is taking the lead to ensure the fulfillment of sustainability goals stated in ACI’s Strategic Plan. These goals include the expansion of the understanding of sustainability issues among ACI’s membership and the increase of sustainability-related content in ACI’s documents and products.
A new technical committee, ACI 130, Sustainability of Concrete, held its inaugural meeting during the ACI Fall 2008 Convention. Its mission is to provide technical knowledge on the sustainable properties of concrete and concrete applications, and its goals include developing a report that will contain current information regarding concrete’s environmental footprint, data to input into evaluation models or calculators, and strategies or methods to reduce that environmental footprint. ACI also launched a member survey to obtain more information on perceptions of sustainability.
At the upcoming Spring 2009 Convention in San Antonio, Texas, ACI is planning a series of sessions on building sustainability with slag cement and concrete as a sustainable material, plus LEED training with special emphasis on concrete.
ACI agrees with the Brundtland Commission’s 1987 definition of sustainable development: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” ? www.green.concrete.org
