Lower Carbon Concrete

Covered Products

• Standard, ready concrete mixes used in building or infrastructure applications.
• Contracts for building projects equal to or greater than $1 million and includes use of at least 50 cubic yards of concrete
• Transportation contracts equal to or greater than $3 million that include a concrete pay item with an estimated quantity of at least 200 cubic yards 

Exclusions

• Emergency construction, as defined by New York State Public Buildings Law Section 9
• High-strength concrete (specified compressive strength of 8000 psi (55 MPa) or greater)
• Quick cure concrete (hardens faster than an average mix)
• If, during the progress of an eligible state contract for low embodied carbon concrete, a concrete mix cannot be found that meets the requirements of the contract and these guidelines, the prime contractor may request a waiver from the Affected Entity 
  
  Note: Keep documentation of reasoning on file, per instructions outlined in sections VI and VII of the NYS Buy Clean Concrete Guidelines

Minimum Requirements

Products MUST have the following sustainability attributes:

• The concrete mix performance-based specification must meet the following global warming potential (GWP) limits based on specified compressive strength:

• The vendor must provide verification of product compliance with the maximum GWP limits in the table above in the form of:
  • The concrete mix’s accompanying environmental product declaration (EPD). Acceptable EPDs are Product-, Facility-, or Plant-specific, or Supply Chain-specific Type III (third-party reviewed) EPDs, in adherence with ISO 14025 Environmental labels and declarations, ISO 14044 Environmental management – Life cycle assessment, and ISO 21930 Core rules for environmental product declarations of construction products and services; and 
    
    Note: These EPDs will support Affected Entities in completing their EO 22 Embodied Carbon Guidance reporting requirements
  • A document stating the GWP of the concrete mix used (indicating comparison to New York State’s concrete GWP limit), to demonstrate that the GWP of the concrete mix is lower than the limits outlined above.

Additional Desirable Attributes

Products are ENCOURAGED to have the following sustainability attributes:

• Entities are encouraged to meet, or fall below, the average GWP of regional concrete mixes shown in A Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment of Ready-Mixed Concrete Manufactured by NRMCA Members – Version 3.2. The GWP limits described in the table in this specification are 150% the GWP limits described in the NRMCA LCA July 2022 report.

Many products meeting this GreenNY Specification align with the following NYS Sustainability Policies:

• Executive Order 22: Leading by Example: Directing State Agencies to Adopt a Sustainability and Decarbonization Program
• Contracts Involving Low Embodied Carbon Concrete

• GreenNY Sustainable Purchasing Definitions
   
• NY State Sustainability Policies
   
• GreenNY Sustainability Certifications and Standards
   
• Product-Specific Resources
  • A Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment of Ready-mixed Concrete Manufactured by NRMCA Members – Version 3.2
  • Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator
  • EO 22 Embodied Carbon Guidance
  • NYS Buy Clean Concrete Guidelines - Guidelines for Implementation of State Finance Law § 136-d Contracts involving low embodied carbon concrete

To support compliance with NYS policies and GreenNY procurement requirements, contract managers are encouraged to incorporate the GreenNY Sample Contract Language into bid solicitations and contracts. The GreenNY sample contract language covers the following topics:

• GreenNY Sales Reporting
• Packaging Language
• Product Labeling per GreenNY Specifications
• Takeback Services
• Verification of Vendor Compliance with GreenNY Requirements and Documentation of Desirable Attributes and Other Environmental Claims

• Emergency construction – Refers to New York State Public Buildings Law Section 9. This provision defines it as damage to or malfunction in a building or property of the State of New York caused by an unanticipated, sudden, or unexpected occurrence which involves a pressing necessity for immediate repair, reconstruction, or maintenance in order to permit the safe continuation of a necessary public use or function, or to protect the property of the State of New York, or the life, health, or safety of any person.
• Environmental product declaration (EPD) – A report that quantifies environmental information over the life cycle of a product to enable comparisons of environmental impacts between products fulfilling the same function. For concrete, the key reported metric is the global warming potential (GWP) of the material, measured in kilograms of CO2 equivalent (kgCO2e).
• High strength concrete – Concrete that has a high compressive strength. Under this guidance, concrete with a specified compressive strength of 8000 psi (55 MPa) or greater is considered high strength concrete, as per the ACI PCR-353.2-11).
• Performance specification – In reference to concrete mixes, this refers to the materials conditions required for a concrete mix to meet the design requirements. These may include strength, air content, permeability or surface resistivity, freeze-thaw durability or super air meter, and shrinkage/ cement reduction or paste factor. Performance specifications are defined in lieu of prescriptive mix proportioning.
• Quick cure – In reference to concrete mixes, refers to concrete that hardens faster than an average mix and is used on projects that require a fast setting time in order to allow critical activity to resume, or in order for a critical project to be completed quickly.