IStructE Climate Emergency Task Group March/April update

Here’s an outline of what we’ve published in the last couple of months, I hope you enjoy reading these. As always, most of these articles are free to non-members as well as members, so please share far and wide! As always, we continue to upload all content to www.istructe.org/climate-emergency. 

Carbon Counting

On 18th March, we launched The Structural Carbon Tool to an audience of 1220 viewers. TSCT is an excel version of the institution’s guide How to Calculate Embodied Carbon that was published last year, and has been developed by Elliott Wood in conjunction with the institution. The tool allows for quick calculation and comparisons of the carbon emissions associated with your structural designs, and can be used for any scale of project, based anywhere in the world.

Head to www.istructe.org/the-structural-carbon-tool to download the tool for free, or to watch the recording from the launch event.

Carbon Targets

This also ties in well with the UK Green Building Council’s Whole Life Carbon Net Zero Roadmap project that just kicked off (link). Over the coming months, the UKGBC will develop an industry-wide plan of action that sets out clear actions and targets for decarbonising the built environment in the UK. The IStructE is present on the steering group, along with representatives of RIBA and LETI, and we hope that this will bring us to a point of agreed industry alignment in the UK. Do watch this space!

Guidance

Over in The Structural Engineer, we produced eight articles of interest over the last couple of months:

• R&D needs of the industry (link): This paper highlights the advances we need across materials, design and construction, if we are to continue on a journey to Net Zero once we’ve thrown everything we already have at the problem. The article collects together the needs identified from across the industry, including from the institution’s research panel. A good read if you’re a researcher, or are looking to do something novel on your next project!
• Steel sourcing (link): A short article outlining how steel is produced, what this means in terms of carbon emissions, and what the engineer should do in order to minimise the carbon impact of their steelwork (including the use of ResponsibleSteel). This was written in response to many firms revisiting their own steelwork specifications, and I’d urge you to share this note with anyone you know who might be going through a similar journey. We’ve also published a webpage with further guidance specifically on steel specs (link)
• We also looked specifically at the reuse of steel elements (link) as part of the Circular Economy. The author highlights the fact that there are actually very few technical barriers to doing this, and encourages engineers to consider this approach before choosing to design with new materials.
• Henderson colloquium 2020 (link): Finally, we published a write-up of last year’s IABSE Henderson Colloquium, which brought together 40 representatives from across different sectors to discuss and identify changes needed across design, education, government, investors and institutions. A real cross-industry picture of the change we need. 
• Continuing our series on refurbishment of existing structures, Understanding existing buildings (link) looks at the art of a thorough desk-study before getting to site. For many this may be common sense, but we thought that it was worth recapping on the benefits of understanding the construction, capacity and defects of a building before proposing any changes.
• Putting theory into practice, this short write-up of the 1 Triton Square project describes the reuse and strengthening strategies that were adopted to increase the floor area of an existing building by 50% (link – IStructE members only). The SCORS A-Rating demonstrates the power of reuse over new-build when it comes to carbon savings.
• Away from reuse and onto creating change and we have a joint viewpoint encouraging us to own our agency (link) and practice “professional activism” to tackle the climate emergency. I really liked the ‘top five things to do’ in this list – a great list to get the debate going in our virtual offices.
• Finally, and for those of you who missed it, the IStructE is honoured to now have a Dame amongst its membership. Jo da Silva, Arup’s global sustainable development leader, was awarded her DBE in the New Year Honours list, and in this profile piece (link) Jo shares her views around social responsibility and our need to see COP26 as “an opportunity for structural engineers to commit to the role they will play in meeting the climate emergency”. An inspiring read.