Life Cycle Assessment of Fly Ash and Ferrochrome Slag as Geo Materials in Construction
摘要
Achieving modernization through infrastructural development requires rapid construction activity. However, the construction activity itself is a source of very serious problems such as global warming and environmental destruction. So, there is a need for a variation in the standard construction activities and the materials used. In this article, an attempt to compare the environmental impacts of clay brick, plain cement concrete, and natural river sand aggregates with their possible eco-friendly substitutes like fly ash brick, Fly ash cement concrete, and Ferrochrome slag aggregates has been made, respectively. Fly ash is a hazardous waste generated by the combustion of coal. It can pose very serious health problems like asthma, heart disease, and cancer. Ferrochrome slag is obtained in the making process of stainless steel. It is declared as a hazardous waste in many regions because it contains about 8% chromium VI which can powerfully leach into water when dumped and is a serious toxic agent. So, using this waste provides ways for both waste management and making eco-friendly construction materials. Within this study, differences that are present between how these materials are made or obtained and their relative environmental effect have been compared. So, unlike regular life cycle assessment, this study deals with the comparison of the differences in manufacturing and their environmental impacts. This study uses the “OpenLCA” life cycle assessment application combined with the data present in the application and data taken from the US EPA. EDIP 2003 LCA method has been used for all comparisons except for the ferrochrome slag because CML 2001 gives more elaborate results and understandings in this case. Replacing clay bricks with fly ash bricks can help in controlling acidification, stratospheric ozone depletion, global warming potential, eco-toxicity, eutrophication, human toxicity, and photochemical ozone formation effects on human and the environment.