Growing emissions from construction represent one of the world’s most pressing decarbonisation challenges. Concrete and steel are used widely across buildings and civil engineering infrastructure, but to produce these involves high-energy and carbon-intensive processes.

Structural design codes play a critical role in determining material use. By specifying required resistance, safety margins and loading assumptions, they influence how much material engineers use in their designs. These codes have developed over many decades in response to advances in science, technology, and societal expectations. However, despite increasing awareness of climate impacts, embodied carbon and material efficiency have rarely been central considerations.

Guidance on measuring and reducing structural embodied carbon is now becoming well-established. It's supported by sustained efforts from researchers, practitioners, and professional bodies. Yet, there has been no systematic, carbon-focused review of underlying engineering requirements embedded within design codes.

Project aims and outputs

Over 12 months, our committee of expert reviewers will examine key design provisions within the Eurocodes. We will prioritise provisions based on their influence on embodied carbon and potential for flexibility and future revision. We will also identify gaps in evidence and highlight areas for further research.

We will publish findings in collaboration with the Institution of Structural Engineers. This will include targeted projects and research initiatives, prioritised according to their potential impact on reducing embodied carbon, establishing an agenda for future impact.

A coordinated global effort

At Bath, we are leading a multidisciplinary team drawn from academia and industry with expertise in both the development and application of the Eurocodes.

Our project forms part of a wider international effort. It runs alongside parallel initiatives focused on US and Chinese structural design codes, creating a coordinated pathway towards lower-carbon design practices. Together, these efforts address standards that influence the majority of global construction activity.