Concrete design optimization by LCA: a critical analysis

In today’s societies, concrete is ever more frequently used, but its production demands a large amount of power that creates environmental pollution. The main material composing concrete is cement which is made from clinker. The necessary high production temperatures cause emissions of CO2. Simultaneously, very significant amounts of demolished concrete produced from deteriorated and obsolete structures create severe ecological and environmental issues. One of the ways to solve these problems is to use this ‘waste’ concrete as an aggregate. Various authors have studied the effects of mixing a portion of recycled aggregates with concrete and they found that this solution has a positive effect on environmental impacts reduction. Preservation of the environment and conservation of the rapidly diminishing natural resources should be the essence of sustainable development.