CSA SPE-112:21 PDF Download

CSA SPE-112:21, also known as CarbonStar: Technical Specification for Concrete Carbon Intensity Quantification and Verification, is a document that provides minimum requirements and recommendations for quantifying and verifying the carbon intensity in a unit of concrete. This includes any carbon that is permanently sequestered during the production of the concrete and/or its input materials. The quantification calculation results in a CarbonStar rating, which expresses the carbon intensity of concrete in kilograms (pounds) of CO2 and/or CO2e per cubic meter (cubic yard), as well as the net CO2 sequestered in kilograms (pounds) per cubic meter (cubic yard) for purposes such as carbon credits, offsets, or tax incentives.

It is important to note that this specification only provides a methodology for quantifying carbon emissions and sequestration for a declared unit of 1 cubic meter (cubic yard) of concrete. When selecting concrete options for a specific application, other functional criteria such as strength, constructability, performance, and durability should also be taken into consideration. The document further clarifies that there are existing standards such as CSA A23.1, A23.4, A23.3, and S6 in Canada, as well as ACI 318, 350.5, and 562 in the USA, which cover performance, durability, and structural requirements for different types of concrete structures.

The terminology used in this specification distinguishes between requirements, recommendations, and options. "Shall" is used to express a requirement that must be satisfied, "should" is used to express a recommendation or advice, and "may" is used to express an option or permissible action within the limits of the specification. Notes accompanying clauses are for explanatory or informative material and do not include requirements. Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements. The specification also includes annexes that can be either normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application.