1.1 Minimises embodied CO2

Embodied CO2 (the emissions associated with the manufacturing and disposal of construction products) is becoming a decisive factor for achieving net zero-carbon buildings. This is driven by the transition towards low-, zero- and positive-energy buildings, where embodied and operational energy and CO2 will be of the same order of magnitude.

Building with precast concrete means that you need less cement, less reinforcement and less materials for the same performance.

As an example, precast floor slabs show a 35% to 50% weight saving compared to an in-situ floor. For a 6,000 m² building, this results in an embodied energy saving of 184 tonnes of carbon, the equivalent of 60 years of CO2 emissions from one car, primarily from the reduction in cement.