Life-Cycle Sustainability Assessment in the Design of Concrete Structures in the Tropics: A Fundamental Analysis

Abstract

Due to the essential nature and increased appreciation to the issue of sustainability in recent decades, the evaluation and assessment of environmental impacts of concrete structures have been considered extensively by the scientific and construction fraternity. To enhance the resilience in the design of concrete structures in the tropics, it is essential to understand and acknowledge the impact of the geographical context, taking into account the widespread socio-economic circumstances in the tropics. Moreover, since all environmental impacts of a concrete structures through its life-cycle use are predictable through its Life-Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), it is therefore necessary to investigate this framework comprehensively. This research was undertaken to study and assess the existing methods in LCSA, as well as to assess the steps and materials that can significantly affect the environment during the whole life-span of concrete structures, and also to qualitatively understand the interaction among the geographic sense and sustainability in the tropics, considering the case of Malaysia. This study proposes a more comprehensive framework for LCSA in the design of concrete structures. The findings suggest that according to LCSA analysis, the environmental effects of concrete structures with almost the same functional quality can be different from each other.