Abstract
Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials with a global consumption rate approaching 25 gigatonnes per year. Consequentially, its environmental burden is significant in terms of resource use and environmental emissions. There is a diverse audience of decision makers and manufacturers who are interested in understanding and lowering the environmental impact of concrete and other buildings materials, which requires a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach. A critical first step in any LCA is the compilation of a credible life-cycle inventory (LCI), upon which subsequent life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) can be based. This article reviews the strengths and weaknesses of concrete LCIs to date, and offers a research roadmap to improve the quality of future cement and concrete LCIs and meet the needs of major LCA users.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 38-48 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Cement and Concrete Composites |
Volume | 51 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2014 |
Keywords
- Admixture (D)
- Cement manufacture (E)
- Concrete (E)
- Life-cycle inventory analysis (LCI)
- Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Building and Construction
- General Materials Science