Here’s How: Embodied Carbon

In this episode, host Amy Hattan talks with Patrick Kenny, a structural engineer who co-leads our Embodied Carbon community of practice’s materials working group. Patrick explains how using portland-limestone cement (PLC) as an alternative to traditional portland cement offers a 5-10% reduction in embodied carbon. The conversation highlights the potential for substantial environmental benefits from widespread ...

In this episode, host Amy Hattan talks with Nisha Kakde, a senior consultant in sustainability. Nisha shares her research on reducing the carbon footprint of steel production – including the potential of alternative fuels, like hydrogen, and technologies such as carbon capture, the use of biochar and the reconversion of blast-furnace off-gas – to achieve significant emissions reductions an...

In this episode, host Amy Hattan talks with Chris Williams, a structural engineer and associate principal in Thornton Tomasetti’s Portland, Maine office. Chris discusses his work on developing embodied-carbon specifications for timber, sharing insights on the potential and complexities involved in using mass timber to reduce embodied carbon in construction. He explains timber’s biogenic carbon storage and its lower global warming p...

In this episode, host Amy Hattan talks with structural engineer Elizabeth Brownell about reducing embodied carbon in bridges. Elizabeth discusses the importance of policies like New York’s Buy Clean Concrete and Executive Order 22 and shares insights on how engineers can measure and optimize embodied carbon throughout a bridge’s design and construction. She also emphasizes the need for changes in Department of...

In this episode, host Amy Hattan talks with Amanda Garvey, a vice president in Thornton Tomasetti’s Sustainability and Resilience practice, about reducing embodied carbon in higher education facilities. Amanda discusses how focusing on Scope 3 emissions from building materials can help colleges and universities meet carbon neutrality goals. She shares ways that certifications like LEED and ILFI promote embodied-carbon reduction and...

In this episode, host Amy Hattan talks with Meghan Kalisz, a consultant in Thornton Tomasetti’s Sustainability and Resilience practice, about achieving high levels of embodied carbon reduction in building design. Meghan shares her expertise in life cycle assessment (LCA) and discusses best practices for achieving ambitious embodied-carbon reduction targets. She explains how a rigorous certification programs li...

In this episode, host Amy Hattan talks with Jackson Pitofsky, a structural engineer in Thornton Tomasetti’s Denver office, and co-leader of the firm’s embodied-carbon community of practice assessments working group. Jackson shares practical strategies structural engineers can use to dramatically reduce embodied carbon in the buildings they design. He discusses the impacts of structural system selection and “o...

In this episode, host Amy Hattan talks with Bridget Kane and Lisa Bolle, leaders of Thornton Tomasetti’s ethical decarbonization working group. Together, they explore how the construction industry can reduce embodied carbon while also addressing labor ethics in material supply chains. They discuss how the manual, labor-intensive manufacturing of materials like solar panels is prone to labor violations, often h...

In the final episode of the first season, host Amy Hattan speaks with Scott Schneider, Senior Principal and co-leader of Thornton Tomasetti’s Structural Engineering practice, about the role of engineers in meeting the climate-change crisis by making smart, integrated design decisions early in the process. They discuss Scott’s motivations for taking the lead on the firm’s efforts to reduce embodied carbon in ...