Global Concrete Water Footprint

Concrete production is the highest among building materials and will increase since we need it for housing and infrastructure. This material demands significant volumes of water for activities in its life cycle other than for concrete mixing. On the other hand, water resources are scarce; the annual local availability is limited, and the demand is growing. A case study is presented where water figures for concrete production activities from literature, were used to calculate the concrete water footprint from cradle to gate by applying a simplified life cycle approach. Then, using the results from the case study, a global concrete water footprint is estimated using annual concrete production figures. The global concrete water footprint was estimated in ~18 billion m3 (6.32-30.43 billion m3). Consequently, study of concrete water footprint is fundamental to establish actions to improve water efficiency.