Analytical study on eco-friendly concrete and its impact on carbon footprint and cost

Abstract

In light of great progress and rapid development in the construction industry around the world, the use of concrete in large quantities results in huge amounts of CO₂ emissions, which makes the use of waste materials an alternative to concrete components. It’s feasible to make concrete more sustainable without sacrificing its mechanical performance. This study analyses the environmental impact of replacing concrete components (cement, sand, and gravel) with industrial and plant wastes and construction materials. It calculates the amounts of CO₂ emissions, embedded energy, and cost savings based on an analytical approach using thirty published studies over the period 2007–2023. The results indicate that using waste materials as a substitute for cement leads to a reduction in CO₂ emissions, embedded energy, and cost by 2% to 40%. Replacing sand with waste materials also reduces CO2 emissions, embedded energy, and cost by 5% to 100%. Replacing gravel with waste materials reduces CO2 emissions, embedded energy, and cost by 5% to 100% per cubic meter compared to the reference sample and the replaced material. The optimization case for selecting the optimal materials that can be used to replace concrete components was also identified based on their compressive strength and sustainability. The results showed that paper slag ash was the optimal material that could be partially substituted for cement at 5%, while marble gave the optimal result when substituted at 50% instead of sand, and marble was the optimal choice for replacing 80% of gravel.