Application of Environmental Product Declarations in Sustainability of Geotechnical Structures
Publication: Geo-Congress 2023
ABSTRACT
The sustainability and resilience of geotechnical structures are essential to the performance of infrastructure systems. Objective assessment of sustainable and resilient practices requires quantitative approaches to measure vital characteristics of geotechnical materials and construction methods. Professional and engineering entities have proposed numerous frameworks for such measures, like environmental product declarations (EPD). This paper investigates the employment of EPDs in the appraisal of geotechnical structures like retaining systems. The proposed framework involves a life cycle approach to applying lightweight backfill using rotary-kiln manufactured aggregates. The life cycle analysis addresses significant phases of the project, beginning with mining, progressing through construction, maintenance, and retrofit, and ending with recycling and reuse. Elements of calculations include materials, equipment, and labor required for various phases. Discussions include a critical analysis of the results compared with other assessment techniques. Outcomes provide practitioners and scholars guidelines for employment, customization, and development of EPDs for geotechnical projects.
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Geo-Congress 2023
Pages: 661 - 670
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Published online: Mar 23, 2023
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