NEU Releases Important Resource, The Low-Carbon Concrete Guide: Materials

NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete announces the release of a new publication, The Low-Carbon Concrete Guide: Materials. The guide is authored by Mary Christiansen, Ph.D, LEED AP.

This guide focuses on practical, data-driven strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of concrete, with particular emphasis on the material and mixture decisions that designers, engineers, contractors, and policymakers make at the project level. The goal is to support performance-based choices that lower emissions meaningfully while meeting the safety, strength, and durability expected of traditional concrete.

The publication examines the role of concrete in global carbon emissions, life-cycle thinking, and carbon quantification tools, as well as a full spectrum of binder-level strategies, including SCMs, mineral fillers, blended cements, low-carbon portland cements, and alternative cements. It also introduces aggregate, reinforcement, and water-level pathways, along with supporting concepts such as mixture optimization and durability, as well as advanced concrete technologies to illustrate how material choices interact with long-term performance.

“We are excited that NEU could bring this detailed publication to the concrete industry,” said Kerry Sutton, executive director, NEU. “Mary Christiansen’s in-depth work on this guide has resulted in a valuable resource for both industry newcomers and experienced practitioners.”

The guide provides the context, background, and technical framework needed to understand low-carbon concrete materials and their implications for performance and sustainability.

The Low-Carbon Concrete Guide: Materials is available from the ACI store for $99 for ACI members and $129 for non-members.  It can be downloaded at https://ow.ly/13cn50Xw4ci.

About the Author

Dr. Mary Christiansen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She earned her BS and MS degrees in Architectural and Structural Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 2008 and her PhD in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 2013. Dr. Christiansen teaches courses in concrete materials, structural design, and sustainability. Her research focuses on the development and characterization of low-carbon concrete and high-performance materials aimed at improving the sustainability and resiliency of concrete infrastructure. She was the founding chair of ACI Committee 242, Alternative Cements, and is a member of ACI Committees 232, Fly Ash in Concrete, and 240, Pozzolans.