Zhang, Jingxuan ORCID: 0000-0002-0020-7971, Fernando, Sarah, Law, David W ORCID: 0000-0001-8478-8103, Gunasekara, Chamila ORCID: 0000-0003-2013-8720, Setunge, Sujeeva ORCID: 0000-0001-5958-2189, Sandanayake, Malindu ORCID: 0000-0003-4303-7279 and Zhang, Guomin ORCID: 0000-0002-3503-7431 (2023) Life cycle assessment for geopolymer concrete bricks using brown coal fly ash. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15 (9). ISSN 2071-1050

Abstract

Traditionally, the construction industry has predominantly used Portland cement (PC) to manufacture bricks, as it is one of the most-commonly available building materials. However, the employment of waste industrial material for brick production can lead to a significant improvement in terms of sustainability within the construction sector. Geopolymer bricks made from brown coal fly ash, a promising industrial waste by-product, serve as a potential alternative. Conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA), this study thoroughly evaluated the entire manufacturing process’s environmental impact, from source material acquisition and transportation to brick manufacturing, distribution, usage, and end-of-life, for brown coal bricks as compared to PC bricks. The LCA of the brown coal bricks revealed that their primary environmental impacts stemmed from the raw material manufacturing and usage, while exhibiting substantial reductions in ozone depletion, water depletion, and metal depletion. These findings highlighted the environmental advantages of the brown coal bricks and their potential to revolutionize sustainable construction practices.

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