Towards Circular Economy by Using Green Concrete in the Egyptian Building Sector

Abstract

<p>Concrete is considered the most anthropogenic material used in the construction sector worldwide. It is associated with consuming massive amounts of energy and the depletion of natural resources, based on the increasing Egyptian urban expansion by establishing new cities to face the population growth challenges and achieve the national development strategy. The importance of applying the Circular Economy (CE) for concrete materials in the building sector became a robust key for reducing conventional concrete (CC) materials and addressing the building materials' future challenges. This study investigates the benefits of Green Concrete (GC) materials and their potential for supporting the principles of achieving circularity for concrete materials in the Egyptian building sector. Furthermore, develop a conceptual framework for using GC from the building scale perspective in two new Egyptian cities. The study attempts to answer how GC materials help achieve a circular economy and the potential benefits of integrating different CE strategies for using GC in the Egyptian building sector. The evidence-based solutions (EBS) methodology was used for collecting and analyzing data for assessing the environmental impacts based on reducing the natural resources consumption, recycling, and reusing waste products in the Egyptian building sector. Case studies are used to provide in-depth insights into the practicalities of GC. Applying the before-and-after (BAA) technique for two building models highlights the challenges and opportunities for substituting CC with GC to assess the interactive factors for achieving CE and applying sustainability. The results showed valuable insights into the potential for using GC to support the CE and have a strong ability to reduce natural resources consumption and construction waste stream, which leads to close the loop and achieving circularity in the Egyptian building sector, and recommended that Design for Recycling (DfR) strategy is the most need for improving the using of GC in the building sectors.</p> <p>Keywords, Green Concrete, Circular Economy, Evidence-based Solutions, Egyptian building sector</p>