Sustainability of the concrete industry: Current trends and future outlook

Abstract

Achieving sustainability of all human actions has been recognized as an urgent and top priority since the warnings of anthropogenic climate change are overwhelming. However, the precise goal, aim and method of shifting the global paradigm towards sustainability are still contested. Among all human activities, the concrete industry has one of the largest environmental footprints, not only because concrete is the second most used material in the world, but also because the production of cement for concrete is highly energy-intensive and inevitably releases large amounts of CO2. In this paper, a historic and theoretical background to the environmental problems, arising from the production and use of concrete, is presented. The specific problems it poses are recognized as natural resource consumption, CO2 emissions, and waste generation. A technical discussion based on Life Cycle Assessment analyses is presented alongside a societal interpretation within the framework of common resource and externality management. Possible technical solutions in the form of recycling waste concrete and replacing cement with industrial by-products are presented and finally, a necessity for a shift towards a holistic and environmental paradigm is highlighted.

Postizanje održivosti svih ljudskih aktivnosti je prepoznato kao hitan i prioritetan zadatak s obzirom da su upozorenja o ljudskim uzrocima klimatskih promena brojna. Međutim, tačan cilj i način promene globalne paradigme ka održivosti su i dalje nejasni i neusaglašeni. Od svih ljudskih aktivnosti, industrija betona ima jedan od najvećih uticaja na životnu sredinu, ne samo usled toga što je beton drugi najkorišćeniji materijal na svetu, već i usled toga što je proizvodnja cementa energetski veoma zahtevna i neizbežno dovodi do emisije velikih količina CO2. U ovom radu su predstavljeni istorijski podaci i teorijske osnove ekoloških problema koji nastaju usled proizvodnje betona. Konkretni problemi do kojih dolazi su potrošnja prirodnih resursa, emisije CO2 i proizvodnja otpada. Tema rada je predstavljena sa tehničkog aspekta na osnovu analiza životnog ciklusa, a društveno-ekonomska interpretacija je data u teorijskom okviru upravljanja zajedničkim dobrima i eksternalijama. Predstavljena su moguća tehnička rešenja u vidu recikliranja otpadnog betona i zamene cementa industrijskim nusproizvodima. Na kraju je ukazano na potrebu za zaokretom globalne paradigme ka holističkom i ekološkom pogledu na svet.