Scholarlink

<p>Concrete production remains a major source of CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, yet Malaysia lacks accurate, up-to-date, and locally derived emission factors for concrete raw materials, particularly when SCMs are incorporated. This absence of localized data undermines the reliability of environmental assessments and limits the adoption of low-carbon concrete. Therefore, this study aims to establish a comprehensive, Malaysia-specific CO<sub>2</sub> inventory for concrete constituents and evaluate the environmental benefits of SCM-based concrete mixes. A hybrid cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA), combining process-based modeling with selected input–output emission factors, was performed for cement, aggregates, water, superplasticizer (SP), fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), and ground-granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). These material-level results were then used to calculate the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions of conventional and SCM-modified concrete through an extensive parametric analysis. Cement exhibited an emission factor of 917&#xa0;g CO<sub>2</sub>/kg, while SP recorded the highest value at 2640&#xa0;g CO<sub>2</sub>/kg. The binder dominated concrete emissions, contributing 71–95% of total CO<sub>2</sub>. Conventional mixes produced 435–497&#xa0;kg&#xa0;CO<sub>2</sub>/m<sup>3</sup>, whereas SCM-based concretes achieved reductions of up to 61%, especially when high GGBS contents were combined with moderate FA or SF. These mixes also maintained or improved compressive strength compared to control concrete. This study provides the first detailed, localized CO<sub>2</sub> inventory for concrete materials in Malaysia and demonstrates the effectiveness of optimized SCM combinations for significant carbon reduction. Future research should integrate cost, durability, multi-objective optimization, and cradle-to-grave boundaries to support national low-carbon construction strategies.</p> Graphical Abstract <p>Overview of the methodological framework and key findings of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of conventional and sustainable concrete mixes in Malaysia. The graphical abstract illustrates the data collection process, material-level carbon emission contributions, life cycle impact assessment of different concrete groups incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), and the effect of cement replacement levels on total CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, highlighting the potential emission reduction achieved through optimized mix designs.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

The role of supplementary cementitious materials in mitigating concrete's carbon emissions through life cycle assessment

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月2日

查看全文
  • Dawood S. A. Jubori,
  • Nabilah Abu Bakar,
  • Aidi Hizami Alias,
  • Nor Azizi Safiee,
  • Noor Azline Mohd Nasir,
  • Amir Hamzah Sharaai

摘要

Concrete production remains a major source of CO2 emissions, yet Malaysia lacks accurate, up-to-date, and locally derived emission factors for concrete raw materials, particularly when SCMs are incorporated. This absence of localized data undermines the reliability of environmental assessments and limits the adoption of low-carbon concrete. Therefore, this study aims to establish a comprehensive, Malaysia-specific CO2 inventory for concrete constituents and evaluate the environmental benefits of SCM-based concrete mixes. A hybrid cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA), combining process-based modeling with selected input–output emission factors, was performed for cement, aggregates, water, superplasticizer (SP), fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), and ground-granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). These material-level results were then used to calculate the CO2 emissions of conventional and SCM-modified concrete through an extensive parametric analysis. Cement exhibited an emission factor of 917 g CO2/kg, while SP recorded the highest value at 2640 g CO2/kg. The binder dominated concrete emissions, contributing 71–95% of total CO2. Conventional mixes produced 435–497 kg CO2/m3, whereas SCM-based concretes achieved reductions of up to 61%, especially when high GGBS contents were combined with moderate FA or SF. These mixes also maintained or improved compressive strength compared to control concrete. This study provides the first detailed, localized CO2 inventory for concrete materials in Malaysia and demonstrates the effectiveness of optimized SCM combinations for significant carbon reduction. Future research should integrate cost, durability, multi-objective optimization, and cradle-to-grave boundaries to support national low-carbon construction strategies.

Graphical Abstract

Overview of the methodological framework and key findings of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of conventional and sustainable concrete mixes in Malaysia. The graphical abstract illustrates the data collection process, material-level carbon emission contributions, life cycle impact assessment of different concrete groups incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), and the effect of cement replacement levels on total CO2 emissions, highlighting the potential emission reduction achieved through optimized mix designs.