Designing sustainable concrete on the basis of equi valence performance: assessment criteria for safety

not to hampers innovations, the Dutch Nati onal Building Regulations (NBR), allow an alternative approval route for new building materia ls. It is based on the principles of equivalent performance which states that if the solution propo sed can be proven to have the same level of safety, protection of health, energy efficiency and protect ion of the environment, it is accepted as well. The framework of equivalence performance has been worked out in this paper with respect to safety. Three types of assessment criteria have bee n derived: for individual vales, for characteristic values and for relationships. More than one assessm ent criteria can apply at the same time. An example for a new material containing 50 % of recycled concrete and 50 % of recycled sand-lime brock aggregates illustrated the consequence of the assessment for two properties: compressive strength and tensile strength. The assessment procedure provides a new route for f ast incorporation of new concrete-like materials in construction without compromising the safety of the structures. This will not only stimulate innovations. Since it is expected to be applicable for many newly developed green materials, it also make a significant contribution to reduction in CO 2 and energy consumption as well as raw materials in a relatively short time.