Print Email Facebook Twitter Eco-efficiency assessment of technological innovations in high-grade concrete recycling Title Eco-efficiency assessment of technological innovations in high-grade concrete recycling Author Zhang, Chunbo (Universiteit Leiden) Hu, Mingming (Universiteit Leiden; Chongqing University) Dong, L. (City University of Hong Kong) Gebremariam, A.T. (TU Delft Resources & Recycling) Mirand-Xicotencatl, Brenda (Universiteit Leiden) Di Maio, F. (TU Delft Resources & Recycling) Tukker, Arnold (Universiteit Leiden; TNO) Date 2019 Abstract The increasing volume of Construction and demolition waste (CDW) associated with economic growth is posing challenges to the sustainable management of the built environment. The largest fraction of all the CDW generated in the member states of the European Union (EU) is End-of-life (EOL) concrete. The most widely applied method for EOL concrete recovery in Europe is road base backfilling, which is considered low-grade recovery. The common practice for high-grade recycling is wet process that processes and washes EOL concrete into clean coarse aggregate for concrete manufacturing. It is costly. As a result, a series of EU projects have been launched to advance the technologies for high value-added concrete recycling. A critical environmental and economic evaluation of such technological innovations is important to inform decision making, while there has been a lack of studies in this field. Hence the present study aimed to assess the efficiency of the technical innovations in high-grade concrete recycling, using an improved eco-efficiency analytical approach by integrating life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC). Four systems of high-grade concrete recycling were analyzed for comparison: (i) business-as-usual (BAU) stationary wet processing; (ii) stationary advanced dry recovery (ADR); (iii) mobile ADR; (iv) mobile ADR and Heating Air Classification (A&H). An overarching framework was proposed for LCA/LCC-type eco-efficiency assessment conforming to ISO standards. The study found that technological routes that recycle on-site and produce high-value secondary products are most advantageous. Accordingly, policy recommendations are proposed to support the technological innovations of CDW management. Subject Concrete recyclingConstruction and demolition wasteEco-efficiency assessmentLife cycle assessmentLife cycle costingTechnological innovation To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:fb2d2386-b1ed-4a69-831d-99109bf24293 DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.06.023 ISSN 0921-3449 Source Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 149, 649-663 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2019 Chunbo Zhang, Mingming Hu, L. Dong, A.T. Gebremariam, Brenda Mirand-Xicotencatl, F. Di Maio, Arnold Tukker Files PDF 1_s2.0_S0921344919302848_main.pdf 3.18 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:fb2d2386-b1ed-4a69-831d-99109bf24293/datastream/OBJ/view