SUSTAINABLE CONCRETE PRACTICES FOR REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
Abstract
Concrete is fundamental to building and civil engineering infrastructure; however, its extensive use has resulted in significant environmental impacts, largely attributable to Portland cement production and intensive resource consumption. In response, sustainable concrete practices, including the incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials, recycled aggregates, and alternative binders, have been widely proposed as mitigation strategies. Despite this growing body of research, sustainability assessments remain predominantly carbon-centric and are frequently disconnected from the long-term performance requirements that govern structural engineering practice. This paper presents a critical review of sustainable concrete technologies, examining both their environmental justification and their engineering viability. The review demonstrates that an overreliance on embodied carbon metrics and simplified life cycle assessment frameworks often obscures the influence of durability, service life, and degradation mechanisms on cumulative environmental performance. While supplementary cementitious materials offer measurable reductions in initial emissions, their effectiveness is strongly dependent on material chemistry, curing conditions, and exposure environments. Similarly, recycled aggregate concrete aligns with circular economy objectives but exhibits persistent mechanical and durability limitations that constrain its application in long-life structural systems without rigorous quality control and performance-based design. The study further identifies methodological inconsistencies in life cycle assessment practice, particularly in system boundary definition and functional unit selection, as a major barrier to meaningful comparison between conventional and sustainable concrete systems. It is concluded that credible sustainability evaluation must extend beyond material substitution and emission reduction to incorporate durability-informed, performance-based life cycle frameworks capable of supporting reliable engineering decision-making.
KEYWORDS: Sustainable concrete; Supplementary cementitious materials; Recycled aggregates; Life cycle assessment; Circular economy.
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