Life Cycle Analysis of Steel, Glass Fiber Rebar Polymer and Basalt Fiber Reinforcement Polymer

This study aims to identify an alternative material to steel with a lower environmental footprint while maintaining comparable performance, durability, and cost-effectiveness. We have used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a tool for the present study. We have compared steel with Glass Fiber Polymer Rebar (GFRP) and Basalt Fiber Rebar Polymer (BFRP). There are four major steps involved in cradle-to-grave analysis: Goal definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and improvement analysis. Life Cycle Cost Assessment (LCCA) per unit analysis for each material considers raw materials, production costs, and market price comparison. Major Findings: BFRP or Basalt rebar or Basalt offers competitive performance at a lower environmental cost. Basalt rebar shows promise as a sustainable alternative to steel and GFRP. BFRP is better in performance in terms of less corrosion than steel and GFRP. Steel, despite its poor environmental performance (i.e. in terms of air emission i.e. NOx and SOx, and waste water quality) remains widely used due to cost-effectiveness. Based on the environmental performance the research concluded: Basalt > GFRP > Steel. The economic viability of steel still remains, but basalt offers better eco-efficiency. LCA proves that basalt rebar is a strong alternative for sustainability.