Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates the environmental impacts of materials over their lifecycle to enhance sustainable building practices.
Plastic Waste: Recycled PET improves concrete while avoiding environmental harm from landfilling or incineration.
Natural Materials: Cob, straw clay, and rammed earth reduce energy use by up to 83% and climate change potential by up to 82%, though more data is needed for wider adoption.
Supplementary Cementitious Materials: Alternatives like ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and fly ash reduce concrete’s carbon footprint and resource depletion compared to traditional cement.
CLT: Cross-laminated timber cuts carbon emissions by 40% and is used increasingly in large-scale construction.
Challenges: Some new materials like 3D-printed geopolymer mortars might still pose environmental risks.
Integrating advanced technologies like large language models (LLMs) with LCA enhances evaluation precision, aiding sustainable construction decisions.
