Embodied Carbon Assessment for a Multi-phased Development Pile Testing StrategyÂ-Paper

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The paper examines how embodied-carbon assessment can inform pile design and load-testing strategies for large, phased developments. For bored piles, most emissions arise from materials: typically 85–90% comes from concrete and steel, with concrete the largest contributor. Transport and construction emissions are generally smaller. Concrete’s carbon impact varies substantially with cement content, while reinforcement quantity and production method also matter.<br /><br />The authors assess emissions across material supply, transport, manufacturing, delivery and construction (life-cycle stages A1–A5). They apply this approach to Wood Wharf, a multi-phase development in London, comparing feasible pile types and four strategies: no testing, preliminary testing, working-load testing, or both. Load-test verification can allow more favourable design factors, reducing the materials and number of piles needed. The assessment includes the carbon and cost of the tests themselves.<br /><br />For the buildings assessed, the no-testing scenario required 418 piles and was estimated at 7,803 tCO₂e. Preliminary or working-load testing reduced the estimate to 6,805 tCO₂e, a saving of about 998 tCO₂e. Using both types of testing reduced the estimate to 5,781 tCO₂e—a saving of about 2,022 tCO₂e, or 26%—and reduced estimated piling costs by 21%.<br /><br />Where testing is impractical or its impacts outweigh the benefits, the paper highlights other ways to reduce foundation carbon: reusing existing piles, selecting lower-carbon or recycled materials, designing new foundations for future reuse, and using carbon-offset schemes. The authors stress that early planning, reliable ground investigation and collaboration with clients can help identify effective carbon reductions.

Keywords

embodied carbon

pile design

load testing

bored piles

concrete emissions

steel reinforcement

life-cycle assessment

Wood Wharf

foundation carbon

carbon reduction