Green innovations in SCC: LCA and cost-benefit analysis of steel-basalt and steel-sisal hybrid fiber reinforcements

Despite of the growing sustainability challenges in the construction sector, this study introduces a novel approach to enhance the performance and economical and ecological efficiency of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) through the integration of hybrid fibers and Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs). The research focuses on inclusion of steel fibers with natural fibers such as basalt and sisal in ternary blended SCC incorporating Rice Husk Ash (RHA) and Fly Ash (FA) as cement substitutes. Highlighting the effectiveness of hybrid fiber reinforcement, this study seeks to design high-performance low-impact concrete for green construction. Experimental studies were performed on the fresh and hardened properties of SCC with combinations of steel–basalt and steel–sisal fibers. Environmental impacts and damage categories were assessed using a thorough Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using "SimaPro 9.60.1" with ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint and Endpoint methods. The economic viability of the multifiber mixes in ternary blended SCC was assessed with a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA). The study reveals that although both hybrid systems improve performance of SCC, the steel–basalt combination with equal volume in SCC exhibited excellent mechanical performance and similar cost effectiveness as compared to steel-sisal mixes, but the mixes with high sisal content is sustainable. The results confirm the hybrid fiber, ternary blended SCC as a sustainable building material for industrial applications. This research is unique and novel since it is the first kind to evaluate steel–sisal and steel–basalt hybrid fiber combinations in a ternary binder system with rice husk ash and fly ash as SCMs.