The U.S. Green Concrete Council (USGCC) has published, “The Sustainable Concrete Guide – Strategies and Examples,” available for $75 through the American Concrete Institute (ACI). To order, call (248) 848-3800 or clickhere.

The 89-page book provides insight on specific strategies for the best use of concrete in high-performance, long-lasting, green buildings, according to the USGCC. Included in the guide are case studies, technical data and references, and numerous practices that can be implemented immediately. The guide is divided into three parts.

Part 1 includes information on “Concrete Basics for Sustainability,” which outlines the uses of concrete as the most widely used building material in the world.

Part 2 of the guide, titled “Considerations for Best Use of Concrete for Sustainable Structures,” contains 11 chapters on specific uses of concrete for sustainable structures.

Part 3 of the guide, titled “Beyond Sustainable Rating Systems: Project Profiles,” features 12 specific construction projects throughout the U.S.; all of which utilize sustainable concrete practices and techniques. Included are profiles of three specific types of structures: parking structures and parking lots; single-family and multi-family residential structures; and commercial, institutional, and industrial structures.

The book is authored by Andrea J. Schokker, professor and head of the civil engineering department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Schokker is a member of the Board of Direction for the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and is active in many ACI committees including Joint ACI-ASCE Committee 423, Prestressed Concrete, and a subcommittee of Committee 318, Structural Concrete Building Code.  She is the chair of ACI Committee 130, Sustainability of Concrete.

“Green building practices have been in the spotlight for quite some time in the U.S. and around the world,” she said. “’The Sustainable Concrete Guide – Strategies and Examples’ is a first-of-its-kind guide that fills the pressing need for a comprehensive source on implementing sustainable concrete building practices and techniques immediately. This book presents real-world examples that can be used to guide any engineer, architect, specifier, building owner, or contractor who is interested in learning how to most effectively and efficiently integrate concrete in durable and sustainable structures.”

Current ACI president Florian Barth serves as chair of the editorial review panel for the guide. Other members include Michael Deane, vice president and chief sustainability officer at Turner Construction Company; Kevin MacDonald, vice president of engineering services at Cemstone; Aris Papadopoulos, CEO of Titan America; Michael Paul, lead structural engineer and senior consultant for Duffield Associates; Richard Stehly, vice president of ACI and principal of American Engineering & Testing; and Wayne Trusty, president of Athena Institute International.   

The U.S. Green Concrete Council was established in 2009, with the purpose of disseminating information on sustainable concrete. The organization aims to satisfy the immediate demand for resources on the role of concrete in sustainable buildings and to facilitate the development of additional sustainability-related consensus documents. USGCC is a division of Creative Association Management (CAM), a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Concrete Institute (ACI). “The Sustainable Concrete Guide – Strategies and Examples” is the first in a series of sustainable concrete guides to be published by USGCC. The second is expected to be available in Fall 2010.