Life-Cycle Assessment of Production of Concrete Using Copper Tailings and Fly Ash as a Partial Replacement of Cement

Abstract

Utilization of anthropogenic wastes in the production of building materials is an utmost necessity in the present-day context. The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of concrete production on the surrounding environment due to partial replacement of cement with copper tailings and fly ash. In this study, global warming potential (GWP) and emissions resulted due to the production of concrete have been comprehensively quantified using life-cycle assessment (LCA) analysis. While performing the analysis, all important resources (like electrical energy, raw materials used, and water consumption associated with procurement, utilization, maintenance, and recycling to their final disposal) have been considered. The guiding consensus frameworks, nomenclatures, and different available methodologies have been referred from ISO 14040. For concrete, one cubic meter has been taken as a functional unit throughout the study for evaluation and comparing all the parameters. To perform LCA analysis, UMBERTO NXT tool has been used by taking into consideration of input parameters associated with the proportion of raw materials used in the production of concrete (e.g., cement, sand, aggregates, admixtures, fly ash, copper tailings, and water), its storage and transportation, and distribution. The results obtained from the study demonstrates how the utilization of alternative wastes materials is beneficial in the production of concrete while minimizing adverse environmental impact in a sustainable manner.