2026 SEI Embodied Carbon Boot Camp: June 11–12, 2026 | University of Cincinnati
The 2026 SEI Embodied Carbon Boot Camp is a one-and-a-half-day, in-person program designed to help structural engineers build practical fluency in assessing and reducing embodied carbon in building structural systems. Led by Jay Arehart, PhD, the boot camp focuses on moving from awareness to real-world application. Through structured instruction and applied discussion, participants will gain a shared foundation in embodied carbon concepts, current tools, and emerging standards shaping structural engineering practice.
Program Overview:
The Embodied Carbon Boot Camp provides a focused, practice-oriented introduction to embodied carbon as it relates specifically to building structural systems. The program emphasizes how embodied carbon is calculated, discussed, and addressed within real projects, using methods and workflows aligned with current professional practice.
Sessions combine lecture-style instruction with applied examples and discussion, drawing on real-world experience and widely used tools and data sources. A central component of the boot camp is instruction on the SEI Pre-standard for Assessing the Embodied Carbon of Structural Systems for Buildings, supporting consistent and credible assessment approaches.
Program:
Day One: Foundations, Tools, and Workflows
Day one is designed to establish a shared baseline of knowledge and practical understanding.
Participants will:
- Learn foundational embodied carbon concepts, terminology, and lifecycle stages relevant to structural systems
- Understand how to calculate embodied carbon using material quantities and carbon data
- Learn how Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are structured and used
- Gain hands-on exposure to tools such as EC3 and industry-average EPD data sources
- Explore how embodied carbon assessment fits into project workflows, including target-setting, baselining, and coordination across design and construction teams
- Review practical structural design and specification strategies for reducing embodied carbon
The emphasis is on understanding both the calculations themselves and how those calculations inform design decisions.
Day Two (Half Day): Best Practices, Policy, and the SEI Pre-standard
The second half-day focuses on integration into professional practice and evolving expectations. Topics include:
- The current policy landscape related to embodied carbon and its implications for structural engineers
- Effective collaboration with architects, contractors, and other building professionals
- In-depth instruction on applying the SEI Pre-standard, including its tiered framework
- Methods for making informed comparisons between structural systems, including discussion of functional units and uncertainty
Who Should Attend:
The SEI Embodied Carbon Boot Camp is intended for:
- Practicing structural engineers seeking to understand the fundamentals of embodied carbon assessment and reduction
- Students and faculty looking for a structured, practice-oriented introduction to embodied carbon methods used in the profession
- Code officials and reviewers interested in gaining familiarity with embodied carbon terminology, methodologies, and emerging standards affecting design and construction
- Architects who want a deeper understanding of how structural system decisions influence embodied carbon outcomes
No prior experience with embodied carbon analysis is required.
Host and Program Sponsor:
The 2026 SEI Embodied Carbon Boot Camp is hosted by the University of Cincinnati SEI Graduate Student Chapter.
The program is sponsored by the SEI Futures Fund, which supports initiatives that strengthen the structural engineering profession by expanding access to education and enabling practice-shifting programs.
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