Techno-economic and environmental life cycle impacts of recycled concrete as fine aggregate in rendering mortar: a multi-criteria approach
Abstract The increasing focus on sustainable construction practices necessitates the exploration of alternative materials for rendering mortar. This study aims to evaluate the sustainability of rendering mortar incorporating recycled concrete fine aggregates (RCFA) as a replacement for natural river...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Discover Materials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s43939-025-00318-3 |
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| Summary: | Abstract The increasing focus on sustainable construction practices necessitates the exploration of alternative materials for rendering mortar. This study aims to evaluate the sustainability of rendering mortar incorporating recycled concrete fine aggregates (RCFA) as a replacement for natural river sand, using 1 m³ of mortar as the functional unit in a cradle-to-gate approach for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). A comprehensive evaluation framework was developed using the modified consolidated index to assess the sustainability of RCFA-based mortar mixes. The study introduced an LCA using SimaPro software and the Ecoinvent V3 database to quantify the environmental impact associated with different proportions of RCFA. The midpoint ReCiPe method assessed 18 environmental impact categories, while the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) determined the optimal RCFA content through multi-criteria decision-making, considering mechanical, environmental, and economic factors. The environmental score (EnvScore) method further highlighted the advantages of RCFA over conventional river sand for sustainability. The findings reveal that substituting at least 25% of natural river sand with RCFA improves both environmental and economic efficiency by 20–47%. Based on the cradle-to-gate assessment for 1 m³ of mortar, significant reductions were noted in environmental impacts, particularly in resource depletion and energy consumption, across several categories within the 18 assessed areas while maintaining an acceptable mechanical performance. This demonstrates RCFA’s potential as an advisable and sustainable alternative to conventional sand in construction. |
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| ISSN: | 2730-7727 |