Name: LUKAS BRUNO DAMÁZIO BELLO
Publication date: 28/05/2024
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| DIEGO LIMA MEDEIROS | Examinador Externo |
| JOAO LUIZ CALMON NOGUEIRA DA GAMA | Presidente |
| RODRIGO DE ALVARENGA ROSA | Examinador Interno |
Summary: The construction industry is constantly seeking ways to make processes more sustainable, and Recycled Aggregates (RA) emerge as a solution to reduce environmental impacts by converting Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) into resources. However, RA production can generate negative environmental impacts due to energy consumption, presence of contaminants, and fossil fuel consumption for transportation during this process. The overall objective of the research is to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of RA use for the production of cement-based construction materials, aiming to evaluate the influence of RA on environmental impact indicators. To assess and quantify environmental impacts, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology advocated by the ISO 14000 series is used in various studies. In total, 24 scenarios were used for RA use: in mortars, precast blocks, non-structural concretes, structural concretes, and self-compacting concretes. The OpenLCA software was used to calculate environmental impacts using 5 different impact assessment methods. RA production appears as an environmentally viable solution compared to the reference material as long as the impacts avoided by recycling are taken into account. CDW transportation is the main driver of impacts generated by RA production; furthermore, even with up to 39% impurities by mass in CDW, it still demonstrates environmental competitiveness. RA has the potential to replace Natural Aggregates (NA) in almost all analyzed scenarios. However, technical aspects should be considered, including potential loss of strength when increasing substitution rates.
Keywords: LCA; Recycled Aggregate; Sustainability; Construction and Demolition Waste; Environmental Impacts.
