Chapter 5. Case Study – Construction Materials (Cement, Aggregates and Concrete Products)

Abstract

In this chapter, case-specific environmental impacts of different construction materials production in Hong Kong including cement, aggregates, concrete and concrete products were assessed by the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. For adopting the circular economy (CE) principle in the construction materials production, both open-loop and closed-loop approaches were adopted. The results of the case studies demonstrate that using waste wood for replacing fossil fuels for clinker production, and waste glass powder to replace part of the clinker material, can be effective open-loop strategies for resource saving and environmental impact reduction in cement production. While adopting an open-loop LCA approach, e.g. using supplementary cementitious materials and glass powder for replacing cement, and a closed-loop approach, e.g. using recycled aggregates for the production of concrete and concrete products, can considerably reduce environmental impacts. This chapter also describes the effective implementation of industrial ecology using LCA for reducing environmental impacts, non-renewable resources consumption, and reutilizing waste materials as secondary resources for cement and concrete production within the CE principles.