The assessment of embodied energy in typical reinforced concrete building structures in Ireland

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that by understanding how energy is consumed in the manufacturing of reinforced concrete, designers can significantly reduce the overall embodied energy of structures. Embodied energy of products can vary from country to country. Therefore, to accurately estimate the embodied energy of reinforced concrete structures, data specific to the country where they are being constructed must be used. This paper presents the assessment of embodied energy in typical RC building structures in Ireland. The most common methods used to calculate EE are evaluated in this paper and the most suitable method was applied to reinforced concrete. The EE of a typical 30 MPa concrete mix in Ireland is calculated to be 1.08 MJ/kg. Notably cement is credited with 68% of the total EE. The major contributors of energy consumption are identified, which should aid to minimise energy consumption and optimise efficiency. A case study is presented which compares the EE of a typical reinforced concrete structure in Ireland using two concrete mix designs. The first uses Ordinary Portland Cement, while the second uses GGBS replacing half of the cement content. As expected, the EE of the GGBS mix is significantly lower (30%) than that of its counterpart. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.