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Comparative Study on the Environmental Impact of Traditional Clay Bricks Mixed with Organic Waste Using Life Cycle Analysis

Author

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  • José Adolfo Lozano-Miralles

    (Department of Engineering Graphics, Design and Projects, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaen, Spain)

  • Manuel Jesús Hermoso-Orzáez

    (Department of Engineering Graphics, Design and Projects, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaen, Spain)

  • Carmen Martínez-García

    (Department of Chemical, Environmental and Material Engineering, High Polytechnic School of Linares, University of Jaen, Linares Scientific and Technological Campus, Cinturon Sur, s/n, 23700 Linares, Spain)

  • José Ignacio Rojas-Sola

    (Department of Engineering Graphics, Design and Projects, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaen, Spain)

Abstract

The construction industry is responsible for 40–45% of primary energy consumption in Europe. Therefore, it is essential to find new materials with a lower environmental impact to achieve sustainable buildings. The objective of this study was to carry out the life cycle analysis (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of baked clay bricks incorporating organic waste. The scope of this comparative study of LCA covers cradle to gate and involves the extraction of clay and organic waste from the brick, transport, crushing, modelling, drying and cooking. Local sustainability within a circular economy strategy is used as a laboratory test. The energy used during the cooking process of the bricks modified with organic waste, the gas emission concentrate and the emission factors are quantified experimentally in the laboratory. Potential environmental impacts are analysed and compared using the ReCiPe midpoint LCA method using SimaPro 8.0.5.13. These results achieved from this method are compared with those obtained with a second method—Impact 2002+ v2.12. The results of LCA show that the incorporation of organic waste in bricks is favourable from an environmental point of view and is a promising alternative approach in terms of environmental impacts, as it leads to a decrease of 15–20% in all the impact categories studied. Therefore, the suitability of the use of organic additives in clay bricks was confirmed, as this addition was shown to improve their efficiency and sustainability, thus reducing the environmental impact.

Suggested Citation

  • José Adolfo Lozano-Miralles & Manuel Jesús Hermoso-Orzáez & Carmen Martínez-García & José Ignacio Rojas-Sola, 2018. "Comparative Study on the Environmental Impact of Traditional Clay Bricks Mixed with Organic Waste Using Life Cycle Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2917-:d:164368
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Jan Pešta & Tereza Pavlů & Kristina Fořtová & Vladimír Kočí, 2020. "Sustainable Masonry Made from Recycled Aggregates: LCA Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, February.
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    5. Qing Yin & Muhan Yu & Xueliang Ma & Ying Liu & Xunzhi Yin, 2023. "The Role of Straw Materials in Energy-Efficient Buildings: Current Perspectives and Future Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-24, April.
    6. Jan Pešta & Markéta Šerešová & Vladimír Kočí, 2020. "Carbon Footprint Assessment of Construction Waste Packaging Using the Package-to-Product Indicator," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-23, December.
    7. Francesco Asdrubali & Gianluca Grazieschi & Marta Roncone & Francesca Thiebat & Corrado Carbonaro, 2023. "Sustainability of Building Materials: Embodied Energy and Embodied Carbon of Masonry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-28, February.
    8. Manuel Jesús Hermoso-Orzáez & José Adolfo Lozano-Miralles & Rafael Lopez-Garcia & Paulo Brito, 2019. "Environmental Criteria for Assessing the Competitiveness of Public Tenders with the Replacement of Large-Scale LEDs in the Outdoor Lighting of Cities as a Key Element for Sustainable Development: Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-26, October.

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