TY - JOUR
T1 - An indicator framework for quantifying the sustainability of concrete materials from the perspectives of global sustainable development
AU - Opon, Joel
AU - Henry, Michael
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2019/5/1
Y1 - 2019/5/1
N2 - Despite progress in many areas, the concrete industry still confronts challenges when it comes to the topic of concrete sustainability. Several evaluation methods have been proposed in response to these challenges, but the lack of a holistic framework for sustainable concrete material remains. In this paper, a holistic indicator framework for concrete material sustainability evaluation is developed by aggregating and analyzing the multitude of sustainable concrete material indicators into a causal network that reveals the indicators' interrelationships. A novel component of this framework is the integration of the two global perspectives on sustainable development: the pillars of sustainability (environment, economy, society) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These sustainability perspectives provide the framework with clear context to underpin the concept of sustainable concrete. A demonstration study validated the framework's applicability in evaluating the sustainability of various concrete mixes. The results highlight the importance of integrating both sustainability perspectives in elucidating the trade-offs that exist between the facets of sustainability and the priority areas needing attention to enhance concrete sustainability. These are critical information in the need to balance the different facets of sustainability, and therefore support the decision-making strategies for concrete sustainability.
AB - Despite progress in many areas, the concrete industry still confronts challenges when it comes to the topic of concrete sustainability. Several evaluation methods have been proposed in response to these challenges, but the lack of a holistic framework for sustainable concrete material remains. In this paper, a holistic indicator framework for concrete material sustainability evaluation is developed by aggregating and analyzing the multitude of sustainable concrete material indicators into a causal network that reveals the indicators' interrelationships. A novel component of this framework is the integration of the two global perspectives on sustainable development: the pillars of sustainability (environment, economy, society) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These sustainability perspectives provide the framework with clear context to underpin the concept of sustainable concrete. A demonstration study validated the framework's applicability in evaluating the sustainability of various concrete mixes. The results highlight the importance of integrating both sustainability perspectives in elucidating the trade-offs that exist between the facets of sustainability and the priority areas needing attention to enhance concrete sustainability. These are critical information in the need to balance the different facets of sustainability, and therefore support the decision-making strategies for concrete sustainability.
KW - Causal network
KW - Concrete material
KW - Sustainability indicators
KW - Sustainability pillars
KW - Sustainable concrete
KW - Sustainable development goals
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.220
DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.220
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85061625883
VL - 218
SP - 718
EP - 737
JO - Journal of Cleaner Production
JF - Journal of Cleaner Production
SN - 0959-6526
ER -