A Study of Modern Eco-Friendly Composite (Geopolymer) Based on Blast Furnace Slag Compared to Conventional Concrete Using the Life Cycle Assessment Approach

Abstract

By posing the question of what will be the definition of sustainable development in the future, it can almost be seen that the principle of “no waste” and the production of new materials with less of a negative environmental impact will have a high priority. To further develop environmentally friendly materials, it is necessary to know about the environmental drivers of new materials as well as to evaluate the environmental effects of conventional materials in construction. According to the definitions of sustainable development and sustainable materials, materials with characteristics such as having low energy consumption, sufficient durability, good physical and chemical properties, while simultaneously reducing pollution should be used. Geopolymer materials may be a reasonable option. In this research, two production processes based on blast furnace slag and ordinary concrete (Portland cement) for one cubic meter of geopolymer concrete have been investigated. To investigate, inputs (materials and energy) and outputs (relevant environmental pollutants) of both systems were determined and a life cycle assessment (LCA) was measured using the Center of Environmental Science of Leiden University (CML) and cumulative exergy demand (CED) quantification methods of SimaPro V.9 software. The results showed that the production system of one cubic meter of conventional concrete has maximum environmental effects in all classes except in the destruction of the ozone layer, and the system of producing one cubic meter of geopolymer concrete based on slag has much less environmental effects than the normal concrete system. It also consumes 62% less directly during its lifetime. As a result, geopolymer concrete may be a suitable alternative to traditional concrete as a sustainable material.