Life cycle assessment (LCA) of concrete made using recycled concrete or natural aggregates

2014 ◽  
pp. 239-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.B. Marinković ◽  
M. Malešev ◽  
I. Ignjatović
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Recycled Concrete ◽  
Natural Aggregates

scholarly journals The contribution of life-cycle assessment to environmentally preferable concrete mix selection for breakwater applications

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 413-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maristela Gomes da Silva ◽  
Vanessa Gomes ◽  
Marcella Ruschi Mendes Saade
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Portland Cement ◽  
Sodium Silicate ◽  
Impact Category ◽  
Cradle To Gate ◽  
Natural Aggregates ◽  
Comprehensive Framework ◽  
Regulation Compliance ◽  
Alkali Activated

Abstract Life cycle assessment (LCA) provides a comprehensive framework for positioning low energy and global warming potential alternatives regarding Portland cement and concrete. Published LCA work on alkali-activated cements is, however, relatively limited. In this paper, we illustrate how LCA critically supports concrete technological studies in the search for low impact concrete mixes. Previous research on breakwater applications explored replacing a low-clinker Portland cement and natural aggregates with seven different alkali-activated blast furnace slag (bfs) binder systems and with coarse and granulated bfs aggregates. Its outcome suggested a sodium silicate-activated bfs formulation as the best match between concrete properties and environmental regulation compliance. To validate this outcome through LCA, our cradle to gate assessments followed ISO 14044 (INTERNATIONAL…, 2006b) and used Ecoinvent v.2.2 and CML baseline 2001 v.2.05. We adopted the ‘net avoided burden approach’ to handle multifunctionality intrinsic to by-product-based AAC. Whilst sodium silicate-activated mixes rivaled the reference regarding GWP, impacts in several categories were increased. LCA highlighted the implications of driving mix selection by focusing on a single environmental impact category.

Life Cycle Assessment of Natural and Recycled Concrete Aggregate Production for Road Pavements Applications in the Northern Region of Colombia: Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 2673 (5) ◽  
pp. 397-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilberto Martinez-Arguelles ◽  
Maria Paola Acosta ◽  
Margareth Dugarte ◽  
Luis Fuentes
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Recycled Concrete ◽  
Recycled Aggregates ◽  
Aggregate Production ◽  
Road Base ◽  
Mobile Plant ◽  
The Impact

The environmental impacts of natural aggregates (NA) and recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) production for use in road pavements have been evaluated in this study through an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) from cradle to gate. Such effort is relevant considering the increasing interest of national agencies in applying recycled aggregates for construction and rehabilitation (C&R) of highway infrastructures. The study used site-specific data from two different aggregate production plants, stationary and mobile, both located in the northern region of Colombia. The stationary facility produces NA, and the mobile plant processes a combination of NA and RCA from the demolition of Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements in the city of Barranquilla. The aggregates produced in the stationary facility are generally used as road base and subbase materials, and in the production of PCC, whereas the recycled mobile plant produces aggregate for subbase and road base mainly. Two scenarios were contemplated in the study. The first scenario involved extraction, hauling, and processing of NA. The second scenario involved aggregate (limestone) extraction, hauling, and recycling of RCA, and finally processing the combination of NA with RCA. The environmental impacts related to the production process of both stationary and mobile plants were evaluated using the computer program SimaPro 8.4.0 and the impact assessment method IMPACT 2002+. The results showed that diesel fuel is the principal energy used in both production processes, and is mainly responsible for the negative impact on respiratory inorganics, global warming, and nonrenewable energy. Results were very sensitive to transportation distances.

Life Cycle Assessment of Recycled Concrete

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1179-1186
Author(s):  
林羲 杨
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Recycled Concrete

scholarly journals Environmental and Economic Life Cycle Assessment of Recycled Aggregates Concrete in the United Arab Emirates

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10348
Author(s):  
Mohammed H. Alzard ◽  
Hilal El-Hassan ◽  
Tamer El-Maaddawy
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Recycled Aggregates ◽  
Cement Replacement ◽  
Material Transportation ◽  
Natural Aggregates ◽  
The Cost

This paper studies the potential environmental and economic impact of replacing natural aggregates (NA) with recycled aggregates (RA) in the production of different sustainable concrete mixes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out according to the methodology proposed by the international standards of the series ISO 14040. The performance of concrete mixes having a similar design compressive strength was evaluated. Results showed that the inclusion of steel fibers (SF) led to an increase in the global warming potential (GWP), whereas mixes with cement replacement by fly ash, slag, or microsilica recorded a reduction in GWP. Furthermore, SF-reinforced mixes created with 100% RA were at least three times more expensive than the NA-based control mix, while the cost of those with cement replacement by mineral additives was generally similar to that of the control. Material transportation was found to be a main contributor to the environmental and economic impacts, only second to cement, and its contribution increased with longer distances and steel fiber incorporation and decreased with RA replacement. To integrate these individual measures and select optimum mixes for various applications, multifunctional performance indices were developed. Research findings highlight the possibility to fully replace NA with RA (100%) while maintaining the performance and improving the economic and environmental impacts of concrete produced in the UAE.

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