Abstract
Environmental and operational performance of a full-scale small and decentralized construction and demolition waste (C&DW) recycling unit (SDRU) were evaluated. The SDRU was defined as having a production capacity of up to 5 m3 per hour, occupying up to 100 m2. The operational and environmental performance indicators of the SDRU were obtained from the literature and validated by expert judgment. Subsequently, the values of these indicators were obtained from a real-scale SDRU in Bahia state, Brazil. The results showed that the SDRU presented lower levels of noise emission, very small water and energy consumption, and inhalable-particle concentration values lower than the requirements of Brazilian environmental legislation. It was observed that 90% of the C&DW in the storage area had recycling potential. The characteristics of the fine recycled aggregate make it suitable for use in road or sidewalk paving, and the coarse recycled aggregate is suitable for use in concrete without structural function. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the SDRU was also applied and it was concluded that the use of the recycled aggregate for manufacturing concrete without structural function reduced the environmental impact in all the categories considered, compared with the impact of natural sand and gravel extraction from nature. It was possible to conclude that the implementation of the SRDU in developing countries can provide an effective step towards reducing environmental impacts from the construction sector.
Highlights
The atmospheric CO2 levels are already close to the last seen around four million years ago, in the Pliocene epoch
The authors estimated that materials contribute over 50% of the carbon footprint of buildings and infrastructure, and around 40% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from total material manufacturing originate in the production of materials used in construction (Hertwich et al, 2019)
Considering the gap of technical information, this paper aims to present indicators of environmental and operational performance that are suitable for smaller and decentralized construction and demolition waste (C&DW) recycling units and to get their values in a full-scale site
Summary
The atmospheric CO2 levels are already close to the last seen around four million years ago, in the Pliocene epoch. It is rapidly heading towards levels last seen some 50 million years ago when temperatures were up to 14°C higher than they were in pre-industrial times (Lenton et al, 2020). When the 21st Conference of the Parties (or “COP21”) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Paris, 195 countries adopted the first global climate deal, which came into effect in 2020. These continuous timelines to meet global/national goals to reduce emissions require support from industries such as the construction sector (Sergeeva and Lindkvist, 2019). The authors estimated that materials contribute over 50% of the carbon footprint of buildings and infrastructure, and around 40% of GHG emissions from total material manufacturing originate in the production of materials used in construction (Hertwich et al, 2019)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
