Evaluating the Environmental Impacts and Social Risks of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) Mortars

Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Forschungsartikel › Beigetragen › Begutachtung

Beitragende

Abstract

Cement production significantly contributes to global CO2 emissions. Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3)—a mixture of limestone, calcined clay, cement clinker, and gypsum—offers a promising alternative by significantly reducing clinker contents without compromising mechanical performance. This study assesses the environmental and social hotspots of various LC3 mortars produced in Germany, a context not yet explored in previous research. While prior studies have mostly focused on LC3 in concrete applications and in low- to middle-income countries, this is the first to evaluate LC3-based mortar in a high-income, highly industrialized context using both Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Social Risk Assessment (SRA) to determine the main environmental and social drivers of this material. The LCA revealed that LC3 mixtures achieve substantial reductions in key impact categories compared to conventional Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) mixes, including Climate Change (up to 42.6% reduction) and Particulate Matter (up to 15.8% reduction). The SRA highlights significant social risks related to corruption, fair competition, and workers’ rights, including fair wages, discrimination, and safe working conditions. This study underscores LC3 as a promising sustainable solution in cement applications while emphasizing the importance of region-specific assessments to address unique environmental and social considerations.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer8364
FachzeitschriftSustainability (Switzerland)
Jahrgang17
Ausgabenummer18
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Sept. 2025
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-6377-8336/work/205991582

Schlagworte

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

  • Informatik (sonstige) - life cycle assessment (LCA), limestone calcined clay cement (LC), low-clinker mortars, social risk assessment (SRA), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
  • Geografie, Planung und Entwicklung - life cycle assessment (LCA), limestone calcined clay cement (LC), low-clinker mortars, social risk assessment (SRA), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
  • Erneuerbare Energien, Nachhaltigkeit und Umwelt - life cycle assessment (LCA), limestone calcined clay cement (LC), low-clinker mortars, social risk assessment (SRA), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
  • Umweltwissenschaften (sonstige) - life cycle assessment (LCA), limestone calcined clay cement (LC), low-clinker mortars, social risk assessment (SRA), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
  • Energieanlagenbau und Kraftwerkstechnik - life cycle assessment (LCA), limestone calcined clay cement (LC), low-clinker mortars, social risk assessment (SRA), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
  • Hardware und Architektur - life cycle assessment (LCA), limestone calcined clay cement (LC), low-clinker mortars, social risk assessment (SRA), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
  • Computernetzwerke und -kommunikation - life cycle assessment (LCA), limestone calcined clay cement (LC), low-clinker mortars, social risk assessment (SRA), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
  • Management, Monitoring, Politik und Recht - life cycle assessment (LCA), limestone calcined clay cement (LC), low-clinker mortars, social risk assessment (SRA), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)

Schlagwörter

  • life cycle assessment (LCA), limestone calcined clay cement (LC), low-clinker mortars, social risk assessment (SRA), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)