Environmental impact and sustainable development of pozzolanic concrete incorporating polypropylene fibers: A database study

Abstract

The study evaluates the life cycle performance of concrete incorporating polypropylene fibres using a database approach. Linear regression analysis identified 2 % to be optimum polypropylene fiber content, while 30 % fly ash, 15 % slag and 7.5 % silica fume were detected to be the optimum pozzolanic replacement that is demonstrated to play an essential role in mitigating the adverse effect of polypropylene fibres use on the engineering properties of concrete. The established models attained through the database analysis were consequently subjected to the life cycle assessment based on a cradle-to-gate approach. The inventory analysis has shown that the utilisation of polypropylene fibers, particularly when accompanied with pozzolans, could considerably reduce the life cycle associated indices. Model 3a, for instance, yielded over 25 % reduction in climate change potential and in ozone depletion. The study highlights the significances of greener production of construction materials and embraces environmental preservation through a cleaner waste disposal approach.