ABSTRACT
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI)’s “Sustainability on the Go” project focuses on integrating sustainability practices into all company processes. Among its ten Strategic Lines of Action is the design of more sustainable infrastructures, including updates to technical standards to incorporate sustainability principles throughout the lifecycle. The article details the sustainability-oriented update of RFI’s General Technical Specifications for Civil Works Procurement, focusing on “Concrete and Steel Works”, highlighting efforts to reduce carbon footprints through certifications like Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). It notes that concrete emissions increase with higher strength due to greater cement content, while EPDs reveal substantial variability in environmental performance. Finally, the article suggests sustainability classifications for concrete in Italy based on Global Warming Potential (GWP) and strength, comparing them with standards in other European nations. These classifications underscore the importance of material selection to improve environmental impact.
