Building For Environmental And Economic Sustainability Research Articles

Durability evaluation and environmental implications of blended cement with colloidal nano-silica for use in recycled fine aggregate concrete: Experimental and theoretical study

The incorporation of waste materials in concrete is currently a practical solution to solve certain environmental concerns. Because of the property degradation of the produced concrete owing to the addition of waste materials, using pozzolans in the concrete mix can help improve the mechanical performance of recycled concrete. Therefore, in this research, the mechanical specifications of recycled concrete were evaluated at different volume fractions of recycled fine aggregates (RFA) replacing natural fine aggregates (NFA). In addition, the impact of adding colloidal nano-silica particles on the performance of conventional and recycled concretes was investigated. Various parameters comprising compressive strength, pulse velocity, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, elastic modulus, and water absorption were carefully examined. The attained experimental results reveal that the mechanical and physical characteristics of concrete degrade with increasing the volume fraction of RFA replacing NFA. Also, increasing the weight percentage of nano-silica replacing cement up to 6% in conventional concrete and that containing RFA improves the mechanical and physical properties, the optimum percentage of which was determined as 4.5%. Furthermore, relationships were recommended for predicting the compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strengths as well as the elastic modulus of concrete mixes by including the RFA and nano-silica replacement levels, which are in acceptable accordance with the experiments in the present study and those available in the technical literature. Finally, to investigate the environmental effects of recycled concrete with different RFA substitution levels and colloidal nano-silica incorporation, the problem-based CML 2000 and the damage-based IMPACT2002 + methods were applied using SimaPro9 software. Thus, environmental parameters such as acidification, global warming potential (GWP), eutrophication, natural resources, ecosystem quality, and human health were inspected. Subsequently, the GWP results were compared and presented using the CML 2000 and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approaches. To verify the estimates, all the attained results were examined against those captured from the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) method. Findings show that despite the implementation of different unit measurements in different methods, the environmental effects in the CML 2000 and BEES methodologies are almost the same, suggesting that nano-silica is a raw material with the greatest environmental impact. Additionally, based on the life cycle comparison results of manufacturing one cubic meter of concrete with different mix designs using the damage evaluation approach, IMPACT 2002+, concrete with the RF0NS6 mix design triggered the highest damage extent in natural resource, climate change, ecosystem, and human health categories, respectively. This study fills a significant research gap from an environmental perspective by comprehensively investigating the durability and mechanical specifications of concrete containing RFA and nano-silica pozzolan. The findings presented in this research provide valuable insights into the realm of sustainable construction practices, paving the way for novel advancements in concrete technology.

Environmental and Economic Assessment of Eco-Concrete for Residential Buildings: A Case Study of Santiago de Cali (Colombia)

Although the circular economy principles date back to the late 1960s, only with the recent stimulus from the European Commission and the Ellen McArthur Foundation has this concept gained attention worldwide. The City Hall of Santiago de Cali (Colombia) is implementing a circular economy model through a sustainable construction handbook and its certification. Among others, these stimulate the use of eco-concrete using fly ash and blast furnace slag coming from local industries (industrial symbiosis). Although concretes with these supplementary cementitious materials have been widely investigated regarding mechanical and durability properties, the economic and environmental impacts have been scarcely and independently evaluated, making the material selection a complex process. Therefore, this article presents the environmental and economic assessment of eco-concretes using fly ash and blast furnace slag for the design of a house located in Santiago de Cali (Colombia). The environmental and economic impacts are estimated by means of the environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC), which are methodologies based on the ISO and ASTM standards implemented in the online software Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES), which was selected for this case study. The results indicate that 40% fly ash concrete or 50% blast furnace slag would be recommended for reducing acidification or global warming potential, respectively. However, considering the existing public policies, the best option for the case study is 50% slag concrete. These results are of significant importance as they allow providing data-based recommendations for designers during the selection of the different eco-concretes. Additionally, these results might help establish a national roadmap to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the construction sector, which are projected to continue increasing until 2050.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF USING FOAMED ASPHALT

Introduction. There has been a world-wide tendency, a global trend to reduce energy demand using a wide variety of methods. With this, on the one hand, the goal is to conserve the limited available and increasingly expensive energy carriers, and on the other hand, it is strived to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and thereby fight against climate change. Problem statement. In the field of road construction, the most widespread manifestation of this sustainability endeavour is the goal of replacing high-energy, hot asphalt mixtures (HMA) with variants of suitable quality. It is a common experience that in this field, the so-called warm asphalt mixtures (WMA) can be the most effective solution. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to examine the environmental effects of the WMA. The authors of the article also deal with whether the type of substitute asphalt mixture does not represent a (long-term) performance reduction in the asphalt layers. Materials and methods. Environmental safety of asphalt mixing plants is a growing concern nowadays due to the high temperature of asphalt mixture production requiring a lot of energy, and resulting in much air pollutants released into the air. The comparison between hot mix asphalt (HMA) and warm mix asphalt (WMA) was performed using BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) 4.0 model; just now the environmental features of the two asphalt mixture types was concentrated on. (The model has also an economic element).

LCA based recommendations for the selection of eco-concretes using blast furnace slag and fly ash

The development of circular economy models for the construction sector brings important challenges and opportunities to research and particularly to make knowledge transfer, for example through public policies. Santiago de Cali, third major city of Colombia (South America), is developing a circular economy model policy, which is mainly based on waste valorisation. Among others, the model includes a family of eco-concrete products that replaces Portland cement by blast furnace slag and fly ash coming from local industries. Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop scientific based recommendations to stakeholders for the selection of different concrete products (i.e. beams, columns, slabs) using blast furnace slag and fly ash (eco-concretes). Considering that life cycle assessment (LCA) is the most employed tool for consolidating, comparing, and assessing sustainability impacts [1], the LCA of these concrete products for the design of a sustainable residential house was performed. The LCA software Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was selected for the study. Results include a discussion on the environmental impacts. Furthermore, a methodology for the selection of sustainable building materials is presented.

A comparative study of mechanical properties and life cycle assessment of high-strength concrete containing silica fume and nanosilica as a partial cement replacement

Employing pozzolanic materials like nanosilica and silica fume as replacements for cement to produce high-strength concrete (HSC) has made investigating the mechanical features of the produced HSC and assessing impacts that producing these materials have on the environment a necessity. Therefore, this paper aimed to assess the mechanical properties, environmental impacts and life cycle of HSC containing silica fume and nanosilica where its compressive performance and microstructure were evaluated and a comparison between the effects of pozzolanic materials were compared with those of ordinary cement on environmental indices. Concrete specimens were made using seven mix designs, and different parameters, namely compressive capacity, toughness, strain at peak stress, relative energy absorption, and stress–strain relationship were evaluated. Afterward, some empirical relationships were proposed to capture concrete mechanical features. Here, silica fume at contents of 0, 8, 10, and 12 % and nanosilica at contents of 0, 1, 2, and 3 % were used as a weight replacement of cement. Further, using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) images, the microstructure of the concrete without the pozzolans and concretes with silica fume and nanosilica was studied. In addition, to investigate the environmental impacts of the concretes containing silica fume and nanosilica and conventional concrete, two methods of problem-oriented CML 2000 and damage-oriented IMPACT 2002+ were employed in SimaPro8.1 program. In this procedure, environmental parameters including acidification, eutrophication, global warming potential (GWP), human health, and ecosystem quality, and natural resources were investigated. Finally, for validation, all the obtained results were compared with those obtained using the building for environmental and economic sustainability (BEES) approach. It was found that the best weight percentages of silica fume and nanosilica replacing cement were 12 and 2 %, respectively, which led to improvement in the performance of the HSC under compression. Moreover, the proposed prediction models for the compressive performance of the HSC using empirical formulations developed for the mechanical features correlate well with the test results. Based on the CML 2000 method, the concrete containing 12 % silica fume has the greatest environmental damage in the acidification, human toxicity, and eutrophication categories, for which the corresponding indices were 6.6, 2.4, and 4.3 times those of the reference concrete. Further, by employing the damage assessment method IMPACT 2002+, the HSC with 12 % silica fume was found to have the highest damage in human health, ecosystem quality, and natural resources, for which the corresponding indices were respectively 4.7, 3.5, and 4.6 times those of the reference concrete. All the environmental indices of the HSC without the pozzolans were lower in comparison with the other concretes except for the climate change index which was higher for the HSC without the pozzolans than the other specimens.

Bamboo grid versus polyvinyl chloride as packing material in cooling tower: Energy efficiency and environmental impact assessment

As an abundant and fast-growing biomass, bamboo can be used as construction materials owing to its desirable physical and mechanical properties, environmentally friendly features, and alternative to replace toxic and hazardous wastes in industrial processing. In this study, grid material made from bamboo (termed ‘bamboo grid’) was developed and compared to commercially used polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as packing material in cooling towers; PVC packing has drawbacks such as fouling, deposit buildup, low durability, and is harmful to environments. The cooling capacity, energy efficiency and environmental impact of bamboo grid packing were evaluated via life cycle assessment (LCA), particularly the cumulative energy demand (CED) and the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES). Although the thermal performance of the PVC packing was found higher than that of the bamboo grid packing, the bamboo grid packing showed improved resistance characteristic, recording a total saving of 529.2 tons of standard coal during a six-month field test in a real thermal power generation plant. LCA results revealed that the utilization of bamboo-grid packing to replace PVC packing in cooling towers reduced total CED from 3420 MJ to 561 MJ per functional unit, achieving 6 times reduction. A desirable reduction ranging from 1.5 to 10.5 times was also recorded for the BEES indices. This LCA comparison analysis confirmed the improvement of energy efficiency and reduction of environmental impact by using the bamboo grid to replace PVC as packing material in cooling towers. The major environmental impact (BEES) indices (e.g., the total Global warming potential, Acidification, Eutrophication and Smog) were reduced by 1.5–10.5 times via the use of bamboo grid. The results demonstrate that bamboo grid packing is a good alternative to replace existing grid packing materials such as concrete and PVC that are harmful to human health and environments.

Sustainability Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste in Baltimore USA

Sustainability assessment of municipal solid waste management requires a holistic approach in evaluating the impacts of current technology and processes. In this study, the sustainability analysis of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incineration plant in Baltimore city was performed to determine its environmental, economic, and social impacts. The city’s major waste-to-energy generation plant has benefitted the city of Baltimore since inception till date in terms of waste processing, resulting in electricity and steam production for more than 40,000 homes and over 200 businesses. The life cycle impact of the incineration plant was analyzed using the Simapro life cycle assessment (LCA) software with the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) database for correlation. The results obtained upon analysis show larger values of Global Warming Potential and eutrophication potential as 6.46 × 108 Gg of CO2 equivalence and 2.27 × 106 Gg N equivalence, respectively. These values resulted from the higher amount of fossil CO2 and NOx emitted from the plant. The acidification potential of 1.66 × 1017 H+ mmole eq resulted from the SO2 emitted by the incineration plant. The incineration plant exceeded the limitations set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on NOx (150 ppm), which is detrimental to the well-being of people as shown by this study. Installing an improved processing technology such as a Selected Catalytic Reactor (SCR) can drastically reduce the NOx emission to 45 ppm. Life Cycle Assessment was confirmed suitable in evaluating the environmental impacts of the MSW-to-energy treatment approach.

Environmental and Cost Impact Assessment of Pavement Materials Using IBEES Method

For road pavements, hot-mix asphalt (HMA) and Portland cement concrete (PCC) are the materials most commonly used. In the selection of one of these materials, their economic performance and environmental performance are evaluated to determine which material exhibits excellent overall performance. However, no overall performance assessment exists in the construction community attributed to the lack of method providing easy-to-use and informative criteria for the decision-making process. Thus, in this paper, a new method that enables a comprehensive overall performance assessment is proposed, which is called Improved Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability. After an eco-economic life-cycle assessment is performed, along with environmental performance and economic performance evaluation, the best-fit pavement material can be selected. This method has proven that the use of HMA for road pavements reduces the environmental impact by 27.1%P (i.e., percentage point), whereas the use of PCC reduces cost by 19.7%P. The existing Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) method shows that the performances of both HMA and PCC were over-assessed by 4.6%P and 7.4%P, respectively, since the environmental performance and economic performance cannot be computed quantitatively by incorporating the environmental and cost impact index into existing BEES model, the Improved BEES method accurately projects environmental performance and economic performance attained through the application of the environmental and cost impact index, hence, encouraging more informed decision. This method facilitates in articulating a quality decision making through the consideration of both the environmental performance and economic performance, hence reducing unnecessary costs generated from the trial and error due to the use of the existing method. Moreover, it promotes the development of a sustainable construction technology.

Environmental and economic life cycle assessment of PEX and copper plumbing systems: A case study

Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe has become viable alternative to traditional copper pipe to be used as residential water plumbing systems. PEX pipe is relatively cheaper and more versatile compared to a copper pipe. This study employs Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare the economic and environmental performances of PEX and copper pipes over the life cycle of a student housing project in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. To achieve this objective, the costs in different life stages were extracted from three different sources in the market (RS Means book and two material suppliers; “Residential Copper Plumbing Products Limited Warranty” and “Uponor PEX”) and a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) was used to quantify the energy and emissions of the two plumbing systems during the manufacturing process, in-service and end of life. The Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) model and SimaPro 8.0 software (Ecoinvent 3.0 database) were employed to develop the life cycle inventory of the piping system through all life cycle stages. BEES model adopts Tool for Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts (TRACI) life cycle impact assessment methods developed by the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development. The LCA framework used in this study was based on a life cycle methodology that follows the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14,040 standard for LCA. The results of the analysis indicate that use of PEX piping instead of the traditional copper piping systems in residential buildings, would considerably reduce the total cost of the building up to 63% over its life cycle. Moreover, it can significantly reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (approximately 42%) and lessen the negative effect of environmental impacts to land, water and air.

Life cycle assessment of exterior window shadings in residential buildings in different climate zones

Use of exterior shading systems is important to increase energy savings in residential sector, mainly in warmer climates exposed to direct sunlight. These types of shades can keep inside temperatures cooler and consequently reduce cooling loads and costs. This study employs Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare the effects of three different shading materials on building energy consumption and their impacts to the environment within five major climate zones defined by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). To achieve this objective, A Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) is used to quantify the energy and emissions of the exterior shading systems during the manufacturing process, in-service and end of life. The Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) model and SimaPro 8.0 software (Ecoinvent 3.0 database) were employed to develop the life cycle inventory of the shadings through all life cycle stages. The LCA framework used in this study was based on a life cycle methodology that follows the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14040 standard for Life Cycle Assessment and the ASTM standard for Multi-Attribute Decision Analysis. Based on the analysis conducted for wood, aluminum, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shadings, it may be concluded that the use of external shadings on residential window panes, in most cases, carries a positive effect on fossil fuel depletion impact, while it increases environmental loads in other environmental impact categories. Among the three aforementioned materials, wood and PVC shadings are the most and the least environmentally-friendly materials, respectively.

Life Cycle Assessment of Domestic and Agricultural Rainwater Harvesting Systems

To further understanding of the environmental implications of rainwater harvesting and its water savings potential relative to conventional U.S. water delivery infrastructure, we present a method to perform life cycle assessment of domestic rainwater harvesting (DRWH) and agricultural rainwater harvesting (ARWH) systems. We also summarize the design aspects of DRWH and ARWH systems adapted to the Back Creek watershed, Virginia. The baseline design reveals that the pump and pumping electricity are the main components of DRWH and ARWH impacts. For nonpotable uses, the minimal design of DRWH (with shortened distribution distance and no pump) outperforms municipal drinking water in all environmental impact categories except ecotoxicity. The minimal design of ARWH outperforms well water in all impact categories. In terms of watershed sustainability, the two minimal designs reduced environmental impacts, from 58% to 78% energy use and 67% to 88% human health criteria pollutants, as well as avoiding up to 20% blue water (surface/groundwater) losses, compared to municipal drinking water and well water. We address potential environmental and human health impacts of urban and rural RWH systems in the region. The Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) model-based life cycle inventory data were used for this study.

Life cycle assessment of nano-sized titanium dioxide coating on residential windows

The use of nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO2) as coating in buildings has received considerable interests in recent years due to its excellent ability to purify the environment by capturing some of the pollutants in the air and by using its inherent photocatalytic properties to its advantage. This study employs Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the use of nano-sized titanium dioxide coating on residential window glass. To achieve this objective, this study compiled a Life-Cycle Inventory (LCI) for quantifying the energy and emissions of the coating during the manufacturing process and in-service. The Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) model was employed to develop the life cycle inventory of titanium dioxide coating on windows. The LCA framework used in this study was based on a life cycle methodology that follows the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14040 standard for life cycle assessment and the ASTM standard for Multi-attribute Decision Analysis. Based on the analysis conducted, it may be concluded that the use of TiO2 coating on window panes carries a positive effect on acidification potential, eutrophication potential, criteria air pollutants and smog formation potential, while it increases environmental loads in global warming, fossil fuel depletion, water intake, human health, and ecological toxicity. However, the overall normalized performance on the environment and air purification is positive.

Framework for hybrid life cycle inventory databases: a case study on the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) database

Purpose In an effort to develop a whole building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is transforming new bottom-up Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) data into a hybrid database in which the strengths of both bottom-up and top-down approaches can be combined. The objective of this paper is to describe the framework and the process under which the hybrid BEES database is being built, with an emphasis on its accounting structure. This paper can support other efforts to build hybrid Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) databases.

Evaluating Sustainability Using Standard Approaches: The BEES Tool

Abstract In support of the ASTM International, Symposium on Common Ground, Consensus Building and Continual Improvement, this paper describes the BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) software that integrates standard approaches for selecting cost-effective, environmentally-preferable building products. Version 4.0 of the Windows-based decision support software, aimed at designers, builders, and product manufacturers, includes actual environmental and economic performance data for over 230 building products across a range of functional applications. BEES measures the environmental performance of building products using the environmental life-cycle assessment approach specified in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14040 standards. All stages in the life of a product are analyzed: raw material acquisition, manufacture, transportation, installation, use, and waste management. Economic performance is measured using the ASTM International standard life-cycle cost method (E 917), which covers the costs of initial investment, replacement, operation, maintenance and repair, and disposal. Environmental and economic performance are combined into an overall performance measure using the ASTM standard for Multiattribute Decision Analysis (E 1765). For the entire BEES analysis, building products are defined and classified based on the ASTM standard classification for building elements known as UNIFORMAT II (E 1557).

석유화학에서 환경과 안전/보건을 통합한 청정도 평가방법 개발

While Life Cycle Assessment(LCA) is evaluating the external environment of the product system based on the functional unit of the system, Risk Assessment(RA) assesses the internal working environment based on the product site. In order to develop a Green Quality Assessment method, both the external and internal aspects of environment are considered in the present study. As the first step, RA is modified to reflect the internal environment based on the product by introducing the EDIP(Environmental Design of Industrial Products)method. Then, the modified BEES(Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability)model is applied to generate the integrated GQI(Green Quality Indicator). This GQI generated is expected to be used as one of the useful indicators which include the aspects of both natural environment and working environment.

Using BEES to select cost-effective green products

The BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) software brings to your fingertips a powerful technique for balancing the environmental and economic performance of building products. The tool is based on consensus standards and designed to be practical, flexible, and transparent. Version 2.0 of the Windows™-based decision support software, aimed at designers, builders, and product manufacturers, includes actual environmental and economic performance data for 65 building products. The purpose is to support purchasing decisions by providing key science-based information often lacking in ‘green’ product selection. The intended result is a cost-effective reduction in building-related contributions to environmental problems.

의사결정의 최적화를 위한 환경·경제성 통합분석

In order to support decision making of energy related policies of government and industry, intergrated environment & economic analysis applying the BEES(Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability, Lippiatt) model has been tried to simulate for finding the best alternatives of energy resources such as coal, oil, and LNG. To achieve this aim, LCA tool has been applied to the environmental analysis based on ISO14040's, while the unit price for generating 1GWh electricity including construction cost, operating cost, and fuel cost has been considered for the economic analysis. Integrated environment & ecomomic analysis is based on the result of simulation according to relative weigting of environment and economic importance. As the result of research, LNG over thirty percent in environmental weighting(seventy percent in economic with regard to relative importance) is the best fuel resource for generating electricity, when the operating rate of power plant is the sixty percent. Furthermore, the higher environmental weighting in relative importance is, the better integrated environment and economic result to LNG power plant is.

Selecting Cost-Effective Green Building Products: BEES Approach

The Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) tool implements a rational, systematic technique for selecting cost-effective green building products. The technique is based on consensus standards and designed to be practical, flexible, and transparent. The Windows-based decision support software, aimed at designers, builders, and product manufacturers, includes actual environmental and economic performance data for 24 building products across a range of functional applications. BEES measures the environmental performance of building products using the environmental life-cycle assessment approach specified in the latest versions of ISO 14000 draft standards. The approach is based on the belief that all stages in the life of a product generate environmental impacts and must be analyzed. The stages include raw material acquisition, manufacture, transportation, installation, use, and waste management. Economic performance is measured using the ASTM standard life-cycle cost method. The technique includes the costs over a given study period of initial investment, replacement, operation, maintenance and repair, and disposal. Environmental and economic performance are combined into an overall performance measure using the ASTM standard for multiattribute decision analysis.