Sustainability assessment of geopolymer concrete: embodied carbon, energy demand and the role of alkaline activator from cradle-to-material production

Due to increased carbon emissions associated with the cement production process (especially during the calcination and clinkering process). Therefore, the need for sustainable alternatives is gaining more interest. However, the sustainable alternative concrete (with zero cement) is being debated among researchers. Most of the time, the sustainability aspects as well as the life cycle assessment of concrete are gaining more importance, which represents the embodied carbon emission and energy requirement analysis of the concrete made with cement. In addition to the emissions and energy, the performance of concrete towards society, such as global warming potential, eutrophication potential, and adiabatic factor, is also gaining more interest. The present study performs a comparative cradle-to-material production assessment focusing on the embodied carbon emissions, embodied energy demand, and material costs associated with cementitious binders and alkaline activators. The assessment does not include transportation, aggregate production, mixing, curing energy, construction activities, service life, maintenance, or end-of-life stages, and therefore this was not interpreted as a complete cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment.