Cornell University
Library
Cornell UniversityLibrary

eCommons

Help
Log In(current)
  1. Home
  2. Cornell University Graduate School
  3. Cornell Theses and Dissertations
  4. A GaBi and Ecolizer Life Cycle Assessment of Charcrete

A GaBi and Ecolizer Life Cycle Assessment of Charcrete

File(s)
Hahn_cornell_0058O_10401.pdf (1.82 MB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/nr1b-pk66
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/114512
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Hahn, Heekyung Hope
Abstract

Concrete is one of the most ubiquitous materials used around the world. However, while its strength and versatility make it a useful material, concrete has many negative impacts on the environment due to its large carbon footprint, overuse, and raw material consumption. In order to address this problem, a more sustainable formulation of concrete was developed at Cornell University in 2016 known as “Charcrete” where biochar was incorporated into a Portland cement-based mortar. The purpose of this thesis is to assess the Charcrete’s sustainability by conducting a life cycle analysis using the GaBi Life Cycle Assessment software and Ecolizer software. We hypothesized that substituting fine aggregate and Portland Cement with biochar to create Charcrete would result in an overall more environmentally and socially sustainable alternative across all GaBi and Ecolizer impact indicators: Acidification Potential, Climate Change Potential, Eutrophication, Human Toxicity, Ozone Depletion Potential, Photochemical Ozone Formation Potential, Abiotic Resource Use, Respiratory Inorganics, and Water Scarcity. For the most part, Charcrete did outperform Portland cement concrete across all impact indicators except for water scarcity. However, Charcrete is not carbon neutral until around 60% of fine aggregate is replaced and is much greater than our initial assumption that a composition of only 13% Charcrete biochar was necessary for carbon neutrality.

Description
68 pages
Date Issued
2023-08
Committee Chair
Elliott, John
Committee Member
Heisel, Felix
Degree Discipline
Design and Environmental Analysis
Degree Name
M.S., Design and Environmental Analysis
Degree Level
Master of Science
Type
dissertation or thesis
Link(s) to Catalog Record
https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/16219515

Site Statistics | Help

About eCommons | Policies | Terms of use | Contact Us

copyright © 2002-2026 Cornell University Library | Privacy | Web Accessibility Assistance