Life Cycle Assessment for Ordinary and Frost-Resistant Concrete

Abstract

This is an environmental study on concrete that follows the standard protocol of life cycle assessment (LCA) for two types of concrete, ordinary and frost-resistant concrete, with a focus on the superplasticizers used as admixtures. The use phase is not included in this study and the concrete is assumed to be inert during this phase. The results show that production of the raw material (especially cement) and the transports involved in the life cycle of concrete are the main contributors to the total environmental impacts. The environmental impact of frost-resistant concrete is between 24–41% higher than that of ordinary concrete due to its higher content of cement. Superplasticizers contribute with approximately 0.4–10.4% of the total environmental impact of concrete. Also, we have concluded that the low amount of leakage of superplasticizers from concrete leads to a low risk for the environment and humans.