Comparative Analysis of Multi-Criteria Decision Making and Life Cycle Assessment Methods for Sustainable Evaluation of Concrete Mixtures

Abstract

In previous literature, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods and life cycle assessment (LCA) methods, integrating different properties, have been applied to cementitious materials separately. This study addresses the existing gap in the research by comparing LCA methods with durability parameters integrated and MCDM methods in concrete mixtures. The aim is to assess the differences between these two approaches when assessing the overall sustainability of cementitious materials. Concrete mixtures containing conventional and recycled materials, such as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), are evaluated based on their mechanical properties, durability parameters, environmental impact, and cost. The results highlight the positive impact of SCM usage on concrete performance and emphasizes the importance of reducing cement content for sustainability. Careful RCA utilization is crucial due to the variable outcomes when combined with SCMs. The results also exhibit that various MCDM methods show acceptable differences when ranking concrete mixtures, offering flexibility in property weighting for concrete applications. In contrast, different LCA methods with durability integrated yield higher differences, emphasizing the superior consistency of MCDM methods. The sensitivity analysis highlights the significance of weight methods and concrete parameters. Standardizing procedures for specific concrete applications is recommended to ensure the reliability and relevance of results.