An Optimization System for Concrete Life Cycle Cost and Related CO2 Emissions

• Main Authors: Tae Hyoung Kim, Sung Ho Tae, Sung Joon Suk, George Ford, Keun Hyek Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-04-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: concrete; life cycle assessment; CO2 emission; cost
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/4/361

An optimization system that supports the production of concrete while minimizing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions or costs is presented that incorporates an evolution algorithm for the materials’ mix design stage, a trigonometric function for the transportation stage, and a stochastic model for the manufacturing stage. A case study demonstrates that applying the optimization system reduced CO2 emissions by 34% compared to the standard concrete production processes typically used. When minimizing the cost of concrete production was prioritized, the cost dropped by 1% compared to the cost of conventional concrete production. These findings confirm that this optimization system helps with the design of the concrete mix and the choice of a material supplier, thus reducing both CO2 emissions and costs.