Business improvement through a structured approach to sustainability in the precast concrete flooring industry
2018-11-21T16:46:27Z (GMT)
by
Different production and business procurement systems in the precast flooring industry
have traditionally been designed to offer products/services with high quality, within
shorter delivery times, and with the lowest cost and expense possible. However, these
systems do not account for the different environmental impacts arising from its operations.
This thesis explores the environmental performance of precast concrete production systems
and evaluates how precast organisations can maintain their business cases within a healthy
and sustainable approved practice. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study was carried out
for five Hollowcore and pre-stressed beams manufacturers (members of the Precast
Flooring Federation—PFF) to identify the main environmental impacts arising from the
production of precast flooring. It was found that mineral extraction, carbon dioxide
emissions, waste disposal, and transportation are the main sources of environmental impact
in the sector. [Continues.]