Carbon abatement strategies for bridges in India

Abstract The average atmospheric temperature has been steadily increasing from pre‐industrial era and is on ascendency alarmingly. In India, the average temperature has risen by around 0.7°C from 1900 to 2018. As per the worst Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5, the mean warming is likely to touch 5.1°C by the end of 21st century. The resultant regional warming is creating havoc in the form of supercyclones, changed precipitation pattern, floods, droughts, wildfires, landslides, melting of ice and glaciers, avalanches, and so on. The built environment alone is responsible for nearly 52% of the carbon emission in Indian region. The paper presents the study of various strategies and technologies to achieve net zero carbon target in construction and operation of Concrete and Steel Bridges in the Indian context.