Waste-to-resource design of eco-friendly ultra-high-performance concrete using reprocessed glass powder: Life cycle sustainability assessment and durability prediction

The growing demand for sustainable ultra-high-performance concrete (S-UHPC) requires eco-efficient mix designs that reduce cement consumption and environmental impacts. In this study, a novel S-UHPC was developed using reprocessed waste glass powder (Re-WGP), micronized quartz powder (MQP), and crushed desert sand (CQDS), optimized through particle packing and response surface methodology. The cement content was reduced by 50 %, resulting in significant decreases in CO₂ emissions, production cost, and embodied energy. The optimal 50 C/50Re-WGP mixture achieved the lowest void ratio (0.12), highest wet packing density (0.88), and superior durability with reduced water absorption and permeability. Microstructural analyses (XRD, TGA, and SEM) confirmed enhanced pozzolanic activity and a denser internal matrix, supporting the observed improvements in durability. Life cycle assessment further demonstrated substantial benefits, with global warming potential decreasing from 1040.70 to 676.2 kg/m³ , cost from 274.65 to 214.96 $/m³ , and embodied energy from 59.9 to 39.76 MJ/m³ /MPa. Hybrid machine learning models achieved accurate predictions (R² > 0.90) for durability parameters, while SHAP-based sensitivity analysis revealed that the water-to-binder ratio, cement content, and aggregate proportion were the most influential factors controlling absorption and permeability. These findings highlight the potential of combining sustainable mix design with AI-based prediction to advance eco-friendly S-UHPC for construction applications.