A Life Cycle Approach to Environmental Sustainability in Aggregate Production Systems
Licentiatavhandling, 2024

Rock materials, such as sand, gravel, and crushed rock, serve as the foundation of our society. Known collectively as aggregates, these materials are essential for building foundations, concrete, and roads, making them the second most extracted material globally after water. Since these materials are often extracted directly from nature, responsible production is crucial to ensure long-term environmental sustainability. Meeting sustainability objectives requires comprehensive environmental reporting to fulfil Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) demands. In response to this need, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have gained prominence in the construction sector.

However, EPDs, based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), do not fully capture all relevant environmental aspects for aggregate extraction and production facilities, often referred to as quarries. This highlights the need for a holistic perspective when it comes to environmental management. EPDs can also cause challenges for producers who may face resource constraints, data collection difficulties, and limitations in environmental knowledge during the process of producing an EPD. Moreover, regarding EPDs solely as communication tools overlooks a value creation opportunity to identify environmental improvements in production systems. Therefore, integrating LCA with production simulations can enhance environmental management, necessitating the development of tools that simplify and support producers in this endeavour.

This thesis proposes a tool structure based on the development work of an industry-specific EPD software tool, and explores its integration into environmental management practices for quarries, with the aim of improving environmental performance. By identifying potential industry-specific environmental impacts, the thesis highlights knowledge gaps and delineates the limitations of LCA tools when combined with production simulations aiming towards a more holistic perspective of environmental performance. Additionally, it offers recommendations for best practices in combining LCA tools into quarry environmental management to overcome limitations, and identifies key areas where industry improvements can be achieved.

Aggregates

Gravel

Sand

LCA

Production Systems

Sustainability

Life Cycle Assessment

Environmental Management

EPDs

Quarries

Tool Development

Environmental Impact

Environmental Product Declarations

Construction Products

Virtual Development Laboratory, Hörsalsvägen 7A, Chalmers
Opponent: Rickard Arvidsson, Docent, Department of Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

Författare

Christina Lee

Chalmers, Industri- och materialvetenskap, Produktutveckling

DigiEcoQuarry - Hållbar digitala lösningar för ballast i Europa

Europeiska kommissionen (EU) (EC/H2020/101003750), 2021-06-01 -- 2025-06-01.

Utveckling av ett web-baserat EPD-verktyg för bergmaterialproduktion (EPD Berg)

VINNOVA (2019-00857), 2019-05-01 -- 2021-08-31.

Svenska Byggbranschens Utvecklingsfond (SBUF) (13738), 2019-05-01 -- 2021-08-31.

Drivkrafter

Hållbar utveckling

Styrkeområden

Produktion

Ämneskategorier

Annan naturresursteknik

Miljöledning

Miljöanalys och bygginformationsteknik

Miljövetenskap

Utgivare

Chalmers

Virtual Development Laboratory, Hörsalsvägen 7A, Chalmers

Online

Opponent: Rickard Arvidsson, Docent, Department of Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2024-02-27