Actions required to make use of Exposure Resistance Classes for Concrete Structures in a contractor's business

Sammanfattning

The concrete construction industry in Sweden, but also more broadly in Europe, is undergoing a transition in sustainable structural engineering practices regarding how concrete is designed at recipe level, particularly through changes in binder composition and the increased use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). This shift is driven by the need to reduce $CO_2$ emissions and EU legislation, which affects the prices of cement. The new generation of Eurocode 2 introduces Exposure Resistance Classes (ERC), which represent a shift towards performance-based approach to durability design and concrete specification. This thesis investigates how Exposure Resistance Classes can be implemented in the Swedish concrete and construction industry, with particular focus on the implications for contractors and their workflow. The study is based on a literature review combined with semi-structured interviews with experts in the field including contractors, structural engineers, industry experts, and concrete producers. The collected material was analyzed thematically to identify perceived benefits, barriers, changes in the industry, most important properties of the fresh concrete, and recommendations for implementation. The findings show that ERC can support the transition of the industry towards more sustainable practices, through easier routes to use alternative binders in the concrete mixes at higher replacement levels than common. However, several barriers are present that slow down the implementation. These include limited industry knowledge, uncertainty regarding testing methods, limited laboratory capacity, and concerns regarding responsibility and liability. The results also show that changes in concrete composition may affect fresh properties, construction planning, and site workflows. The thesis concludes that Exposure Resistance Classes have significant potential to support more sustainable concrete construction, but their successful implementation requires coordinated action between authorities, designers, contractors, concrete producers, and clients. Clear national rules, improved competence, reliable testing procedures, and early collaboration between actors are necessary for ERC to become practically applicable in Swedish construction projects.