As an industry, we must not take a passive role in addressing embodied carbon in the structural systems we design. By prioritizing the reduction of embodied carbon, through the use of less and/or less impactful structural materials, we can more easily work toward net-zero embodied carbon structural systems by 2050.
The leaders at Element SE have recognized this problem and want to actively change what is considered the status quo in the industry.
We are committed to achieving net-zero embodied carbon in structural systems by 2050.
Our SE 2050 Goals
Continue To Educate
Educate the ElementSE Team
Carbon Tracking Programs
Engage in embodied carbon tracking programs
Be Active With Reporting
Report on current embodied carbon impacts
Be An Advocate
Advocate the new approach of structural design to clients
SE 2050 Project Database
Annually commit to submitting data to the SE 2050 project database
Embodied Carbon Action Plan (ECAP) Reporting
Annually commit to reporting an Embodied Carbon Action Plan (ECAP) and permit the ECAP document
We are joining the 100+ firms already registered by committing to SE 2050!
SE 2050 stands for Structural Engineers 2050 Commitment Program which is a response to the SE 2050 Challenge in 2019 by the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) which states “All structural engineers shall understand, reduce and ultimately eliminate embodied carbon in their projects by 2050.”
The program was developed by the Sustainability Committee of the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
We completed our 2023 Embodied Carbon Action Plan (ECAP) as part of the firm’s ongoing participation in the Structural Engineering Institute’s (SEI) SE 2050 Commitment program and are now an SE 2050 signatory firm! We joined SE 2050 in 2023, pledging to work toward reducing embodied carbon in structural design projects to net zero by the year 2050.
As part of our SE 2050 Commitment, this requires our firm to include a yearly Embodied Carbon Action Plan (ECAP). View our 2024 ECAP here.
Strength In Sustainability
When it comes to sustainability, the increasing need of sustainable engineering design is critical due to several factors. First, it allows for minimization of the impact caused by construction on natural resources and the environment. In particular, the emissions of greenhouse gasses due to structural materials and construction processes, are a primary global concern that all structural engineers should consider. The trends in steel and concrete consumption worldwide demonstrate the growing environmental impact of structural design. There are many steps each structural engineer can take to mitigate this environmental impact, which includes engineers understanding the environmental impact of their designs by improving operational efficiency, specifying salvaged or recycled materials, and using alternative building materials such as CLT (cross-laminated timber).
A few examples of how Element Structural Engineers integrates sustainability throughout our projects includes: strategies to reduce overall building weight that has domino effects on gravity and lateral framing systems and the foundations that support these elements. We also work closely with local concrete suppliers to utilize sustainable concrete solutions such as: specifying low carbon mixes with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and the use of recycled concrete aggregates whenever possible.
In addition, our leadership team is LEED certified, which provides direction regarding LEED prerequisites and pursued credits for each project we work on.
Staff Experience
We have decades of experience with traditional wood construction, podiums, slabs, and roofing projects.
Industry Presentations
WoodWorks | Light Wood-Frame Shaft Wall Detailing for Code Compliance & Constructability