A unified decision oriented framework for sustainability assessment of electronic waste and recycled rubble aggregate concretes

Abstract

A unified, decision-oriented framework was developed and applied to evaluate the sustainability of waste-derived concretes by integrating mechanical performance, economic feasibility, environmental impact, microstructural characteristics, and stakeholder perceptions into a single analytical platform. Two waste-based concretes, electronic waste concrete (EWC) with 5% e-waste replacement and rubble waste concrete (RWC) with 30% recycled demolition aggregates, were comparatively assessed against conventional concrete. The framework incorporated compressive strength testing, Sustainable Earned Value Management (SEVM), life cycle assessment (LCA), SEM–EDX and XRD analyses, and a structured survey of 249 construction professionals. Results indicated that both EWC (39.42 MPa) and RWC (40.00 MPa) achieved performance comparable to conventional concrete (41.17 MPa). Economic evaluation demonstrated cost-neutrality for EWC and a 9.7% cost reduction for RWC, while environmental analysis confirmed reductions in resource consumption and the carbon footprint. Microstructural analysis revealed that performance differences were primarily governed by interfacial characteristics rather than changes in hydration products. The proposed framework enables multi-criteria decision-making by linking laboratory performance with economic viability and re-al-world adoption constraints. Overall, RWC demonstrated superior performance, while EWC provided a viable circular solution for electronic waste management. This study establishes a scalable and adaptable decision-support tool for sustainable material selection in construction.