An environmental evaluation: A comparison between geopolymer and OPC concrete paving blocks manufacturing process in italy

Brick has been always one of the most used materials in the construction sector, but the traditional manufacturing process is responsible of relevant environmental and human health impacts. This context has encouraged the development and use of new building materials, such as geopolymers, which represent a great opportunity to improve sustainability and produce better performance and environmental friendly materials in the construction sector. In this study is developed an environmental evaluation of the geopolymeric and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) based concrete blocks manufacturing process using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The analysis is performed using CML 2 baseline 2000 and Eco indicator 99 methodologies. This study highlights that future research and development in the field of geopolymer concrete technology represents a potential solution for environmental protection. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 1699–1708, 2016.