Understanding the regional context of sustainable concrete in Asia: Case studies in Thailand and Korea

Strategies for improving sustainability in the concrete industry need to be understood in the context of regional conditions such as technology level, stakeholder culture, resources, institutional systems, and so forth. This research was conducted to qualitatively understand the relationship between regional context and sustainable concrete in Asia considering the cases of Thailand and Korea through interviews with industry stakeholders in each country. From the interview results, it was found that although both countries share similarities in their general concept for sustainable concrete, the means for implementing sustainability differs, particularly related to the role of stakeholders in each industry and the relationships between stakeholders. In Thailand the major stakeholders focus on a materials perspectives, whereas in Korea they focus on a construction perspective. In both countries, however, the current industrial structure is focused primarily on cost and thus restrains the ability of various stakeholders to implement more environmentally friendly materials or practices or to consider the additional value of concrete.