Sustainable Concrete Structures – Design Approaches for Materials and Components

Changes in the current use of concrete materials and design approaches are mandatory in order to comply with the requirement for sustainable future concrete structures. On this background the article indicates the design of sustainable concrete mixes (green concretes or eco-concretes) and the structural components made from them. Such concretes are characterized by a pronouncedly reduced CO2 footprint compared to conventional structural concretes made with Portland cement clinker. After an introduction to the sustainability problems of today's structural concretes, the basic approaches for the development of sustainable concretes are presented. The specific parameter Concrete Sustainability Potential is introduced, which combines the main effecting parameters such as environmental impact, service life (durability) and performance (strength). An overview in possibilities available today for producing sustainable concrete mixtures is given. For good reasons emphasis is placed on such sustainable concretes, in which a large proportion of the cement is replaced by rock powders. Further, adequate service life design for concrete and concrete components is indicated, as the corresponding calculations play a decisive role in view of sustainable concrete structures. Finally, a new and innovative relationship for sustainability design is introduced. This concept is equally applicable to concrete as a material and to components made from it. The article concludes with considerations on the implementation of this new concept in practice.