Abstract
To address the environmental problems associated with construction materials, the construction industry has made considerable efforts to reduce carbon emissions. However, construction materials cause several other environmental problems in addition to carbon emissions and thus, a comprehensive analysis of environmental impact categories is required. This study aims to determine the major environmental impact categories for each construction material in production stage using the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique on road projects. Through the review of life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methodologies, the abiotic depletion potential (ADP), ozone depletion potential, photochemical oxidant creation potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, eco-toxicity potential, human toxicity potential, as well as the global warming potential (GWP) were defined as impact categories. To define the impact categories for road construction materials, major environmental pollutants were analyzed for a number of road projects, and impact categories for 13 major construction materials were selected as mandatory impact categories. These materials contributed more than 80% to the impact categories from an LCA perspective. The impact categories to which each material contributed more than 99% were proposed as specialization impact categories to provide basic data for use in the LCIA of future road projects.
Highlights
Concerns over global environmental problems, such as climate change and resource depletion, have been growing worldwide
Blast furnace slag cement has a very low environmental impact on global warming potential (GWP) and abiotic depletion potential (ADP) but relatively high environmental impact on ozone depletion potential (ODP) and photochemical oxidant creation potential (POCP) compared to Portland cement
Eight impact categories, i.e., ozone depletion potential (ODP), abiotic depletion potential (ADP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), photochemical oxidant creation potential (POCP), human toxicity potential (HTP), terrestrial eco-toxicity potential (TETP), and global warming potential (GWP), which is represented by CO2 emissions, were defined as major environmental impact categories, and assessment criteria for each impact category were presented
Summary
Concerns over global environmental problems, such as climate change and resource depletion, have been growing worldwide. The United Nations General Assembly in September 2015 included details on climate change and resource depletion in 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and major countries agreed on the efforts to combat climate change by signing the Paris Agreement in December 2015 [1,2]. The IPP requires the consideration of the life cycle of a product, and EPD induces eco-friendly design considered the life cycle environmental impacts. In light of this movement, structures, products, and services in all areas must be developed or operated to minimize environmental loads
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