Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Traditional Bricks in Western Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Bricks are one of the major materials used for the construction of buildings. With the booming infrastructure in India; 140 billion bricks were produced in 2001and 250 billion bricks in 2012. The production of bricks is estimated to be growing at a rate of 4% per year. India is the second largest producer of fired clay bricks with more than hundred thousand brick kilns in operation. Brick production is known to have diffused and seasonal environmental impact along with the social and economic impact. A life cycle assessment (LCA) study, to identify and quantify the environmental performance of the brick as a product, is carried out for the traditional brick kilns in and around the Sangli - Karad area of western Maharashtra, India. The LCA software, SIMAPRO 7.3.3, has been used to carry out the LCA impact studies. The LCA methodology adopted in the study has a scope from “cradle to gate”, including the raw material acquisition and transportation along with brick production. Energy use and emissions are quantified and the potential environmental burdens such as the GHG emissions, resource depletion, and loss of biodiversity, are assessed.