BS 8500 concrete: specifying lower carbon concrete

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published an updated version of BS 8500, the standard for concrete, to allow the specification of a wider range of lower carbon concretes to help decarbonise construction projects.

BS 8500 complements the European concrete specification standard BS EN 206 by providing UK-specific guidance, which incorporates provisions relating to lower carbon compositions. 

The updated standard provides specifiers with guidance on the quality of concrete which can be chosen for specific applications to lower carbon and increase innovation and provides confidence in the performance and durability of new mixes.

The changes to the standard are purely technical, many focused on allowing for the use of lower carbon cements, and, at present, do not represent a full revision of the document. 

BS 8500 was first published in March 2002 and was previously updated in November 2006.

The standard is in two parts: 

BS 8500-1:2023: Method of specifying and guidance for the specifier (for specifiers) and

BS 8500-2:2023: Specification for constituent materials and concrete (for producers).

More information can be found on the BSI website.