Figure 1: LCCG Market Benchmark for embodied carbon, normal weight concrete, LCA stages A1 to A3.
- The benchmark ratings are based on embodied carbon of normal weight concrete mixes used recently in the UK.
- Performance requirements may make it impractical to achieve some ratings for a particular application.
- Opportunities for reducing the carbon rating may typically be achieved by adjusting: type and % of SCM, requirements for early strength gain, consistence, environment (e.g. by use of protective barrier layers), cement content (kg/m³), w/c ratio, use of admixtures, type and grading of aggregates, age at which the specified strength must be achieved, sources of constituents.
| Mix referenceoptional | Strength entered as | Specified strengthMPa or psi | Cube strengthMPa, used for rating | Embodied carbonkgCO₂e/m³ | Total cement contentkg/m³, optional | Strength class | Benchmark rating |
|---|
Paste straight from Excel into any cell: columns in the order mix reference, strength, embodied carbon, cement content, as in the LCCG spreadsheet. Enter moves down a row.
Each strength class as a percentage of the mixes entered
Bars show the share of your mixes in each standard class; crosses show their mean embodied carbon; the dashed line is the benchmark mean (UK average).
Distribution across ratings
Share of rated mixes in each rating. Each of LCCG-1 to LCCG-5 represents 20% of the market data (the markers).
Review of concretes entered
Fractiles assume a normal distribution fitted to the values entered, as in the spreadsheet.
Distribution by strength class
Number of mixes in each rating for each strength class. Strengths between standard classes are rated by interpolation and counted on their own row.
Table 1: 2026 LCCG Market Update – Table of boundary values between the embodied carbon ratings, kgCO₂e/m³
A mix takes the rating whose lower boundary its embodied carbon meets or exceeds. Between standard classes, boundaries are interpolated linearly.
Ratings
A 1 to 5 rating system, each band representing 20% of the data collected and split into four subdivisions. Mixes rated 1.1 fall within the top performing 5% (lowest emissions); those rated 5.4 are in the bottom 5% (highest emissions).
Convert to characteristic cube strength
Cylinder strengths are converted with the smoothed cube-to-cylinder factor derived from BS EN 1992-1-1 Table 3.1, interpolated between strength classes. 1 MPa = 145.038 psi.
Strength class correlation
Some standard imperial strengths
About the benchmark
The LCCG Market Benchmark summarises the distribution of cradle-to-gate carbon emissions of normal weight concrete recently produced in the UK. It covers LCA stages A1 to A3 (cradle to batching plant gate, or cradle to precasting mould) and is updated periodically, no more than once a year.
Market beating mixes have lower embodied carbon than the range of submitted market data; outlier mixes have higher. Classes C80/95 to C100/115 have insufficient data to be rated, and strengths below 8 MPa cube are outside the benchmark.
How to reference ratings
State the version of the benchmark used, for example “LCCG Benchmark 2026”. Where a rating is included in a project specification, it may be sensible to define the version that will be used to assess the placed concrete. It may be more appropriate to specify an average rating across all mixes and uses, volume weighted, than individual ratings for each mix or element.
Revision record
Disclaimer
This document is issued by the Low Carbon Concrete Group (LCCG) for general information only and is not professional advice, a standard or a contract document. Users must apply their own professional judgement, verify all information independently and take suitable professional advice before acting on it. No warranty is given as to accuracy, completeness or currency. To the fullest extent permitted by law, LCCG, The Concrete Society and all individuals and organisations involved in preparing this work – including all volunteers and contributors – accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from its use or from reliance on it. For further information, please contact LCCG at lccg.uk/home/contact. The full disclaimer is available at lccg.uk/home.
Your data
Everything is calculated in your browser and the tool makes no network connections. If Remember my mixes is ticked (on the Rate mixes tab), the mixes you enter are saved in this browser's local storage on this computer so they are still here next time. Untick it to stop saving, or use Delete saved data to remove them.