Assessing the eco efficiency of recycling waste in concrete

Title: Assessing the eco efficiency of recycling waste in concrete
Author(s): B. L. Damineli and V.M. John
Paper category : conference
Book title: 2nd International RILEM Conference on Progress of Recycling in the Built Environment
Editor(s): V.M. John, E. Vazquez, S.C. Angulo, C. Ulsen
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-122-3
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2011
Pages: 423 - 429
Total Pages: 7
Nb references: 13
Language: English

Abstract: The most used material in the world – the concrete – is also a big contributor to global warming due to the use of cement in compositions. Production of 1 ton of clinker emits around 1 ton of CO2; 5 to 7% of total global CO2 emissions are from cement production. So, concrete eco-efficiency is linked to optimization of cement content. But concrete chain had being also other sustainable demands, such as the use of wastes in mixtures.

This paper discusses the influence of waste use in concrete mixtures on cement and total binder content of these mixtures, in order to assess how first action, even with sustainable purposes, can change the concrete total CO2 emissions.

It was created two indexes to evaluate concrete efficiency in terms of binder content and CO2 emissions. It was analyzed some Brazilian papers by new index, and it was concluded that use of wastes in concrete mixtures need to be reviewed and accurately evaluated, because sometimes this action increase concrete binder consumption and CO2 emissions, with bigger global warming impact than ordinary concretes.

Online publication: 2012-02-08
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00