Carbon Footprint Assessment of a Bore Pile Contractor: A Case Study from Thailand

Introduction While substantial research has been conducted on organizational carbon footprint (CFO) assessments across various sectors, studies specifically addressing the CFO of construction organizations, particularly bored pile contractors, remain limited. This study evaluated the carbon footprint of a Thai bored pile contractor for 2022, during which the company completed 146 projects across 20 provinces, drilling 3,454 bored piles with a total volume of 1,998.90 cubic meters and supplying 122,058.04 kilograms of reinforcement steel and 1,832.62 cubic meters of ready-mix concrete. Methods This study assessed the carbon footprint of the case study company, focusing on two operational units under its control: the construction unit and the head office. The assessment adhered to the guidelines established by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization. Results The company’s total carbon footprint was calculated at 712.099 tCO 2 e, comprising Scope 1 direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (66.231 tCO 2 e, 9.30%), Scope 2 indirect emissions from electricity use (2.886 tCO 2 e, 0.41%), and Scope 3 other indirect emissions (642.982 tCO 2 e, 90.29%). Construction activities accounted for the majority of emissions, generating 706.234 tCO 2 e (99.18%), compared to 5.865 tCO 2 e (0.82%) from office operations. Emission intensities were determined at 36.06 kgCO 2 e per cubic meter for bored pile drilling, 1.16 kgCO 2 e per kilogram for reinforcement steel, and 268.62 kgCO 2 e per cubic meter for ready-mix concrete. Construction materials accounted for the largest share of emissions among all resource categories, totaling 634.150 tCO 2 e (89.05%), with ready-mix concrete and deformed bars being the primary contributors, generating 492.271 tCO 2 e (69.13%) and 127.012 tCO 2 e (17.84%), respectively. Discussion This study reveals that GHG emissions associated with construction materials were the primary sources of emissions, particularly from ready-mix concrete and reinforcement steel. Additionally, these two core materials were overused by 9.30% and 8.94%, respectively. Based on these findings, it is evident that improving resource efficiency, prioritizing environmentally friendly products, and locally sourcing construction materials—with particular focus on these two materials—constitute strategies with significant potential to reduce the organizational carbon footprint of the case study bored pile contractor. Conclusion Findings from this study highlight the critical need to enhance resource efficiency, prioritize environment-friendly products, and source construction materials locally as key strategies for reducing GHG emissions. Moreover, the study provides essential benchmarks for bored pile contractors in Thailand and globally to measure environmental impact, implement emission reduction strategies, and promote sustainability in the construction sector.