Work

Sustainability assessment of geopolymer concrete: embodied carbon, energy demand and the role of alkaline activator from cradle-to-material production

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Due to increased carbon emissions associated with the cement production process (especially during the calcination and clinkering process). Therefore, the need for sustainable alternatives is gaining more interest. However, the sustainable alternative concrete (with zero cement) is being debated among researchers. Most of the time, the sustainability aspects as well as the life cycle assessment of concrete are gaining more importance, which represents the embodied carbon emission and energy requirement analysis of the concrete made with cement. In addition to the emissions and energy, the performance of concrete towards society, such as global warming potential, eutrophication potential, and adiabatic factor, is also gaining more interest. The present study performs a comparative cradle-to-material production assessment focusing on the embodied carbon emissions, embodied energy demand, and material costs associated with cementitious binders and alkaline activators. The assessment does not include transportation, aggregate production, mixing, curing energy, construction activities, service life, maintenance, or end-of-life stages, and therefore this was not interpreted as a complete cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment.

Source: Journal of Infrastructure Preservation and Resilience

DOI: 10.1186/s43065-026-00213-y

Authors: Balamurali Kanagaraj, N. Anand

Institution: Karunya University

Language: English

Topic: Concrete and Cement Materials Research

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Climate action, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,590