Evaluating environmental impacts of geopolymer and straw-based wood wool cement boards

This study assesses the environmental and performance implications of utilizing industrial and agricultural by-products as alternative raw materials in the manufacturing of wood wool cement boards (WWCB). In this context, fly-ash based geopolymer replaces OPC, and straws replace spruce wood wool. Both economic and no allocation methods are applied to these by-products to assess their life cycle impacts according to EN 15804 +A2. The findings highlight the environmental benefits of replacing OPC with geopolymer in terms of global warming potential, although the impact on other environmental indicators is less certain. However, substituting straws for wood wool in the production of straw geopolymer boards (SGB) results in poor environmental and performance outcomes, diminishing its viability as a solution. Notably, the treatment of straws does not substantially enhance overall performance and leads to a higher environmental burden. Furthermore, the study recommends adopting a consistent by-product allocation method to ensure accurate reporting of environmental impacts across different industries. • Geopolymer and straws as raw material substitutions for wood wool cement boards. • Geopolymer lowers GWP, yet increases impacts on other environmental aspects. • Substitution with straws results in poor environmental and physical performances. • Straw treatment does not enhance overall performance. • A consistent by-product allocation method across industries is recommended.