Computation of embodied energy and carbon dioxide emissions of geopolymer concrete in high-rise buildings: a case study in Chennai city

AbstractThe total primary embodied energy (EE) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (ECO2e) of geopolymer concrete (GPC) in high-rise (60 m height) residential buildings located at Chennai city, India, were carefully examined in this study. The buildings were analysed and designed with the same aspect ratio and loading with two structural systems; Reinforced concrete (RC) framed and Shear wall type. The computation was performed for floor area, building volume, and concrete quantity. The results show that for the same grade of concrete, compared with conventional concrete (CC), GPC's EE is reduced by 46%, ECO2e is reduced by 42%, and the cost is reduced by 7%. The primary energy consumption (EET) and CO2 emissions (ECO2eT) towards material transportation in GPC shear wall and framed structures are 8% lower and associated cost is 22% cheaper than CC buildings. Compared to CC, the total primary EE and ECO2e of GPC RC shear wall and framed buildings are 46 and 55% lower, respectively. From the study, it has been observed that GPC is more environmentally beneficial than that of using CC in high-rise structures.Keywords: Geopolymer concretecarbon footprintembodied energyhigh-rise buildinglife cycle analysisimpact analysis AcknowledgementsThe authors thank Dr. C. Boopalan, Structural consultant, M/s CBN Consulting engineers, Chennai for their valuable cooperation and technical support rendered during data.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Data availability statementSome or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.