Environmental and Economic Life Cycle Assessment of Recycled Aggregates Concrete in the United Arab Emirates

Mohammed H. Alzard, Hilal El-Hassan and Tamer El-Maaddawy
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Mohammed H. Alzard: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Hilal El-Hassan: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Tamer El-Maaddawy: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-26

Abstract: This paper studies the potential environmental and economic impact of replacing natural aggregates (NA) with recycled aggregates (RA) in the production of different sustainable concrete mixes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out according to the methodology proposed by the international standards of the series ISO 14040. The performance of concrete mixes having a similar design compressive strength was evaluated. Results showed that the inclusion of steel fibers (SF) led to an increase in the global warming potential (GWP), whereas mixes with cement replacement by fly ash, slag, or microsilica recorded a reduction in GWP. Furthermore, SF-reinforced mixes created with 100% RA were at least three times more expensive than the NA-based control mix, while the cost of those with cement replacement by mineral additives was generally similar to that of the control. Material transportation was found to be a main contributor to the environmental and economic impacts, only second to cement, and its contribution increased with longer distances and steel fiber incorporation and decreased with RA replacement. To integrate these individual measures and select optimum mixes for various applications, multifunctional performance indices were developed. Research findings highlight the possibility to fully replace NA with RA (100%) while maintaining the performance and improving the economic and environmental impacts of concrete produced in the UAE.

Keywords: life cycle assessment; economic impact; environmental impact; recycled aggregate; multifunctional performance indices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:18:p:10348-:d:636756

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