Life Cycle Cost Assessment of Sustainable Structural Concrete Developed for Tropical Environment

The study highlights utilizing stone dust (SD) and ceramic waste powder (CWP) as partial fine aggregate and cement substitutes in concrete. The study has two phases. Initial SD and CWP replacement were done separately, and up to 45% replacement yielded results similar to standard concrete. When cement is substituted with CWP, it increases up to 10%, then abruptly falls. Experimental results show that SD and CWP can replace a significant amount of fine aggregate and cement in concrete. For the final concrete mix, which combines SD and CWP, the optimal substitution results were 45% SD and 10% CWP. The investigation found that the final mix’s compressive, flexural, and split tensile strengths meet Bureau of Indian Standards. The second step involves a life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) performed for conventional concrete and the final concrete mix for tropical climatic conditions. The latter predicted a longer service life and approximately 43% of cost savings for structural members.