What is BS 8500-1:2023 - Method of specifying concrete about?
The UK construction sector increasingly wants access to lower carbon concretes to meet net zero targets, especially as the availability of GGBS (ground granulated blast-furnace slag) may diminish towards the end of the decade. BS 8500-1:2023 complements the European concrete specification standard, BS EN 206 by giving UK specific guidance which incorporates provisions relating to lower carbon compositions.
Who is BS 8500-1:2023 - Method of specifying concrete for?
It will be used in the built environment, infrastructure, road building, house building and commercial premises building industries. Users will be:
- cement producers
- concrete producers (ready-mixed, precast, volumetric)
- larger contractors (concrete frame, infrastructure)
- consultants (engineers, architects, National Highways, Environment Agency etc.)
What does BS 8500-1:2023 - Method of specifying concrete cover?
BS 8500-1:2023 describes methods of specifying concrete and gives guidance for the specifier.
Annex A gives guidance on the concrete quality to be specified for selected exposure classes, intended working life and nominal cover to normal carbon steel reinforcement.
BS 8500-1:2023 complements BS EN 206 by providing United Kingdom national provisions where required or permitted by BS EN 206. It also covers materials, methods of testing and procedures that are outside the scope of BS EN 206, but within national experience.
NOTE: BS 8500-1:2023 does not give guidance on stainless steel and non‑metallic reinforcement. Guidance on nominal cover to reinforcement for structural and fire consideration is available in other publications, e.g. structural design codes of practice. Why should you use BS 8500-1:2023 - Method of specifying concrete?
- To lower carbon. BS EN 197‑5:2021 introduced cements with up to 65% of the Portland cement replaced by two or more lower carbon additions. Now BS 8500-1:2023 categorizes BS EN 197-5 cements for use as general purpose cements, giving users information they need to adopt lower carbon concretes.
- To increase innovation and confidence. By giving guidance on novel specifications and their durability in a national standard, BS 8500-1:2023 can help accelerate the adoption of innovative multi-component concretes that use less Portland cement and more lower carbon supplementary cementitious material. It can also help increase your confidence in this concrete.
- To help the UK construction sector meet customer and other stakeholder expectations. The construction industry needs access to lower carbon concretes as soon as possible to meet clients’ net zero targets, especially if the availability of GGBS diminishes in the UK and alternatives need to be used. BS 8500-1:2023 will help with their adoption.
BS 8500-1:2023 contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth, Goal 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure and Goal 12 on responsible consumption and production.
What’s new about BS 8500-1:2023?
This new edition of BS 8500-1 incorporates technical changes only. It does not represent a full revision of the document, which will be undertaken in due course. The principal changes are:
- inclusion of BS EN 197-5 cements and their equivalent combinations as general-purpose cements
- the introduction of the combined performance category for cements and combinations which categorize these by their resistance to sulphate attack and chloride ingress
- the removal of minimum cement content and water/cement ratio as limiting values for resistance to corrosion of reinforcement due to carbonation
- the removal of strength as a limiting value for resistance to corrosion of reinforcement due to chloride ingress
- a revision of Table A.6 to allow easier specification of the increased number of cements and combinations for durability
- improved guidance on identity testing
- the identity testing strength criteria for lower strength concrete to align with BS EN 13791
- improved guidance on consistence retention
- guidance on digital surveillance
- indicative strengths from cements and combinations
- corrections and minor clarifications
- all references have been updated.
