Reducing environmental impact by increasing the strength of concrete: quantification of the improvement to concrete bridges

This study focuses on the following problem: by increasing the mechanical strength of concrete, we increase the environmental impact per cubic meter of concrete produced by increasing the cement content. We could, however, decrease the amount of concrete needed to build a given structural element. To know whether the improvement in concrete strength will produce a significant difference on the structure scale, this study evaluates the environmental consequences of using high performance concrete instead of ordinary concrete for a bridge. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, based on international standards of series ISO 14040, is used to compare these solutions. Uncertainties due to data collection are taken into account. The results show that choosing a high performance concrete for bridge construction is, on average, more environmentally friendly than the traditional concrete bridge construction.