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Assessment of Sustainable Green Lightweight Concrete Incorporated in New Construction Technologies

  • Construction Management
  • Published:
KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Aims and scope

Abstract

Recent studies have led to the development of approaches for recycling plastic waste and using it as an alternative for natural aggregates in concrete. The studies mainly focused on the material properties and sustainability aspects of such implementation, with little focus on the financial implications and the technical feasibility. The purpose of this research is to investigate the different lifecycle costs associated with the use of green recycled plastic lightweight aggregates (GLACs) in concrete construction in different structural systems. For that purpose, the authors evaluated a concrete structure with several variable design systems and conducted structural design once using conventional concrete and once using concrete with recycled plastic aggregates, resulting in a total of 36 distinct scenarios. The lifetime cost analysis was performed on such scenarios. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine how structural characteristics and critical element costs influence cost-effectiveness. According to the findings, this approach can save up to 6% in life-cycle expenses. The findings of this research will contribute to the upcoming paradigm shift of using recycled plastic in concrete, which will reduce the environmental impacts of both the concrete and plastic industries while also assisting developers in lowering their life cycle costs.

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Abbreviations

GGBFS:

Ground granulated blast-furnace slag

GHG:

Greenhouse gas

GLAC1:

Green lightweight aggregate concrete (Type 01)

GLAC2:

Green lightweight aggregate concrete (Type 02)

IBC:

International Building Code

LCA:

Life cycle assessment

LCC:

Life cycle cost

LCIA:

Life cycle impact assessment

LLDPAE:

Linear low-density polyethylene

NCA:

Normal weight aggregate

NCAC:

Normal weight aggregate concrete

NWC:

Normal weight concrete

PGLA:

Plastic-based green lightweight aggregate

PLA:

Plastic lightweight aggregate

SLWC:

Structural light weight concrete

VLA:

Volcanic lightweight aggregate

VLAC:

Volcanic light weight aggregate concrete

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Acknowledgments

The authors extend their appreciation to the Research Supporting Project number (RSP-2021/264), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for funding this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh, 11421, Saudi Arabia

    Fahad K. Alqahtani

  2. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Hawai’i, USA

    Mohamed A. Sherif & Amr M. Ghanem

  3. Dept. of Construction Engineering, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt

    Ibrahim S. Abotaleb

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  1. Fahad K. Alqahtani
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  2. Mohamed A. Sherif
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  3. Amr M. Ghanem
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Correspondence to Fahad K. Alqahtani.

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Alqahtani, F.K., Sherif, M.A., Ghanem, A.M. et al. Assessment of Sustainable Green Lightweight Concrete Incorporated in New Construction Technologies. KSCE J Civ Eng 26, 4942–4959 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-022-2353-x

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