Comparative life cycle assessment of polymeric and conventional concrete for sustainable construction: a case study of a new clinic at Assiut university hospital in Egypt

• Published in: JES. Journal of engineering sciences 2023-11, Vol.51 (6), p.449-467
• Main Author: Ali, Ahmad Abd al-Muntalib Muhammad
• Format: Article
• Language: ara ; eng
• Subjects: assiut university hospital clinic; conventional concrete; environmental impact; green building materials; life cycle assessment; البوليمرات; الخرسانة; العمارة المستدامة; جامعة أسيوط; دورة الحياة
• ISSN: 1687-0530; 2356-8550
• DOI: 10.21608/jesaun.2023.214792.1235

The building material industry has the largest share in global environmental emissions. this research investigates the environmental impact of polymeric concrete compared to conventional concrete in the construction of a new clinic at Assiut university hospital in Egypt. a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted from raw material extraction to production stage (cradle to gate stage) using Simapro v9.5 software. all environmental impact has been investigated using the impact 2002+ method using the midpoint and endpoint results. the LCA results showed that polymeric concrete had a lower environmental impact than conventional concrete regarding global warming, acidification, and eutrophication potential. in terms of the single score outcomes, climate change had a significant impact on both ordinary and polymer concrete, with the former scoring 0.90 MPT and the latter recording a much lower 0.14 MPT, indicating a 75% reduction. furthermore, when considering the weighting results (midpoint result), it was found that specific environmental impacts, such as global warming, respiratory inorganic, and non-renewable energy impacts. had a more significant effect overall. specifically, the global warming potential was found to be 8.95 kg co2 eq. and 1.38 kg co2 eq. for polymer and ordinary concrete, respectively. lastly, the endpoint result showed that human health was impacted the most, with a total reduction of 84.24%. the daly recorded for ordinary concrete was 3.69e-06, whereas, for polymer concrete, it was 5.8e-07. the findings of this study suggest that polymeric concrete can be a more sustainable alternative to conventional concrete for specific applications. one of the main difficulties faced in applying polymer concrete in the construction industry is its higher cost compared to conventional concrete. the production process of polymer concrete requires specialized equipment and expertise, which can increase the overall cost of the material. additionally, the use of polymer concrete may require changes in construction techniques and design specifications, which can be challenging for contractors and engineers who are used to working with conventional materials. moreover, the durability and long-term performance of polymer concrete in certain applications have not been extensively studied and may require further research and testing. finally, the availability of raw materials and the disposal of waste materials from the production process may also pose challe