Environmental assessment of recycled glass aggregates in reinforced concrete

Abstract

The sustainability of the concrete industry is in jeopardy due to the use of natural resources which impacts the environment. A swift shift towards sustainable thinking is required considering the emergency triggered by human activity on the climate. Glass concrete (GC) has sparked curiosity of the construction industry owing to its environmentally friendly approach. This article examines the environmental implications of partially replacing natural aggregates in concrete with recycled glass aggregate at various percentages i.e. 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% which is then compared to controlled concrete specimen (CC). The assessment indicated 287 kgCO2Eq were generated for control concrete (CC), whereas concrete with 20% glass aggregate (GA) resulted in 258 kgCO2Eq. global warming potential. Likewise, M25 concrete was reported to have 1.68 kgCFC-11Eq compared to 1.85 kgCFC-11Eq for natural aggregate concrete. Even though glass concrete demonstrates lower values in several environmental effects, there is need for improvement in impact categories including acidification and respiratory organics.