Environmental assessment of radical innovation in concrete structures

In the building sector, the contribution of concrete structure to the overall emissions of greenhouse gases is significant. Switzerland is engaged in a 2050 energy strategy where the reduction of the embodied energy of buildings is a key aspect. In this study, we assess the environmental impact of different low energy concrete solutions. The study focuses on technologies that use cement with very high substitution rate (up to 65%) and other tensile resistant materials than steel in order to keep high durability targets. Hybrid wood-concrete structure, low carbon high performance concrete prestressed with carbon fiber reinforced polymer, and ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete with synthetic fiber reinforcement are among the studied options. The environmental assessment is done through life cycle analysis using Ecoinvent database for Switzerland and SimaPro software. Results of initial environmental assessment of production of the new technologies present huge energy and emission savings potential for the energy turnaround.