Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8100533 | Journal of Cleaner Production | 2016 | 27 Pages |
Abstract
Geotechnical engineering can account for a considerable portion of the environmental impact in infrastructure and construction projects. As a result, sustainability is increasingly becoming a key research topic in this area. This paper assesses the environmental impact of clay-lime blends for the Paraguayan Chaco region. More specifically, it compares distinct dosages to attain a target strength (unconfined compressive strength and splitting tensile strength) and stiffness (initial shear modulus) using life cycle assessment (LCA). Seven impact categories were considered: acidification, eutrophication, photochemical oxidation, depletion of abiotic resources, stratospheric ozone depletion, global warming, and embodied energy. For all target values of strength and stiffness examined, low-binder/high-density dosages have a lower impact across all categories compared to high-binder/low-density dosages. More specifically, minimal impact across all categories is attained when the smallest binder content (required to attain a target strength or stiffness) is used. Changes in binder content and density produce major increases in three categories: energy consumption, global warming, and photochemical oxidation. Lime production accounts for more than 75% of the total energy, greenhouse gases emission, and photochemical oxidation for each of the blends examined. This supports previous research, which shows that materials accounts for a considerable part of energy consumption in geotechnical works. As a result, minimizing binder content and maximizing density are main strategies to create more sustainable dosages for soil stabilization.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Energy
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Authors
CecÃlia Gravina da Rocha, Ana Passuello, Nilo Cesar Consoli, Rubén Alejandro Quiñónez Samaniego, Néstor Masamune Kanazawa,