A descentralização do setor de eletricidade brasileiro associado à premente necessidade de aumento da oferta de energia elétrica tem fomentado a busca por fontes alternativas para produção de energia elétrica. Este fato motiva empresas do setor sucroalcooleiro a produzir eletricidade a partir da queima do bagaço de canade- açúcar em sistemas de cogeração, elevando dessa forma a capacidade de geração de energia elétrica exatamente no período de menor oferta hídrica. A geração de eletricidade a partir da biomassa canavieira revela-se uma opção interessante, pois além de ser produzida de forma distribuída e próxima aos centros consumidores, tem criado oportunidades a destilarias e usinas de açúcar para aumentarem seus portfólios de produtos. Nesse aspecto, o presente estudo se propõe a apresentar e discutir possibilidades de cogeração de energia elétrica em usinas autônomas (destilarias) em diferentes condições de processo e operação. Para atender a estes propósitos, foram definidos cenários de cogeração e desenvolvidos modelos para simulação e análise da produção de energia térmica e elétrica bem como estimar os impactos ambientais associados, considerando um sistema de cogeração que opera através do ciclo Rankine, que é o sistema mais utilizado pelas usinas brasileiras. Os cenários foram analisados a partir das técnicas de Análise Exergética (Análise Termodinâmica de Primeira e Segunda Lei) e Avaliação de Ciclo de Vida (ACV). Adotou-se para o caso da avaliação ambiental um enfoque do berço ao portão da fábrica, conforme diretrizes metodológicas descritas nas normas ISO 14040 e 14044. A unidade funcional adotada foi gerar 1,0 MWh de eletricidade excedente em sistema de cogeração energética. O sistema de produto compreende as cargas ambientais da etapa industrial e da produção agrícola da cana-de-açúcar. Especialistas no setor e pesquisadores da área sugerem concentrar esforços de melhoria de desempenho termodinâmico na elevação das propriedades de estado do vapor na saída da caldeira de 20 bar até 100 bar, e simulação de sistemas de cogeração com reaquecimento e regeneração, que são melhorias técnicas próprias de centrais termelétricas, mas com potencial de aproveitamento pelo setor sucroalcooleiro. Os cenários foram projetados com base em diferentes combinações dessas condições considerando duas possibilidades de utilização da biomassa como fonte de energia térmica: exclusivamente bagaço de cana-de-açúcar; e uma composição de bagaço e palha. A comparação dos desempenhos termodinâmicos e ambientais dos cenários ocorreu principalmente em termos da geração específica de eletricidade, da eficiência exergética, do perfil destruição de exergia ao longo do ciclo e dos perfis de impactos ambientais potenciais. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a eficiência exergética é aumenta com a elevação das funções de estado do vapor superaquecido na alimentação da turbina, e ao aumento do grau de complexidade do ciclo Rankine, conseguido à medida que arranjos com reaquecimento e regeneração são integrados ao ciclo. Esses arranjos mostraram-se efetivos na melhoria dos desempenhos exergético e ambiental dos sistemas de cogeração a partir da queima do bagaço e da palha da cana-de-açúcar. Em termos de desempenho ambiental, observou-se a redução sistêmica de efeitos negativos associada ao aumento da eficiência do ciclo termodinâmico. Os resultados da ACV ratificaram também, que a melhoria da eficiência exergética do sistema é seguida de redução de impactos ambientais. Os melhores resultados ambientais, tanto em termos relativos, como absolutos, foram obtidos aproveitando a palha como fonte de energia térmica na caldeira, na condição de geração de vapor a 100 bar e 511 oC, com ciclo Rankine que utiliza reaquecimento e regeneração simultaneamente, numa proposta chamada de ciclo Resultante, cuja redução de impactos ambientais ocorreu entre 5,3% e 15,6% nas categorias analisadas. / The decentralization of the Brazilian electricity sector in association with the internal electricity supply crisis has encouraged companies in the sugarcane industry to produce electricity by burning sugarcane bagasse in cogeneration plants. This approach reduces the environmental impact of the sugarcane production and has opened up opportunities for distilleries and annex plants to increase their product portfolios. Potential scenarios for technically and environmentally improving the cogeneration performance were analyzed by using Thermodynamic analysis and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The method used in this study aimed to provide an understanding and a model of the electrical and thermal energy production and the environmental impacts of conventional vapor power systems which operate with Rankine cycle that are commonly used by Brazilian distilleries. Vapor power system experts have suggested focusing on the following technical improvement areas: increasing the properties of the steam from 20 to 100 bar, regeneration and reheating. The case scenarios were projected based on different Rankine cycle configurations and two possibilities of biomass utilization: only sugarcane bagasse or sugarcane bagasse with straw. The LCA was carried out according to ISO 14040 and 14044 regulations, with focus from cradle to gate. A Functional unit of: \"To delivery 1.0 MWh of electricity to the power grid using cogeneration system\" was defined. The product system covers the environmental burdens of the industrial stage and the agricultural production of sugarcane. Thermodynamic evaluation indicated that the energy efficiency and the potential net power exported to the grid increase as the pressure at which the vapor leaves the boiler increases. From the LCA, it was noted that the improved energy performance of the system is accompanied by reduced environmental impacts for all evaluated categories. In addition, vapor production at 100 bar and 511 °C resulted in greater environmental gains, both in absolute and relative terms. Reheating and regeneration concepts were found to be considerably effective in improving the energy and environmental performance of cogeneration systems by burning sugarcane bagasse and straw. For the evaluated categories, the results indicated that the proposed modifications are favorable for increasing the efficiency of the thermodynamic cycle and for decreasing the environmental impacts of the product system. The best results were obtained using bagasse and straw in the boiler furnace and using reheat-regenerative Rankine cycle. In this case it was noted a reduction between 5.3% and 15.6% over all impact categories analysed.

O etanol está consolidado como combustível para movimentação de veículos leves no Brasil e, nos últimos 40 anos, apenas a cultura de cana-de-açúcar tem sido explorada comercialmente para a produção deste combustível. Por outro lado, o desenvolvimento agrícola vem proporcionando safras recordes de grãos nas últimas décadas. A produção de milho se destaca pelo aumento da produtividade, podendo ser semeado como cultura principal ou como cultura de inverno em rotação com a soja. O sorgo, por sua vez, pode atuar como um substituto do milho, apresentando maior rusticidade e tolerância à seca. Dada essa conjuntura, usinas de etanol do Mato Grosso se associaram a produtores de milho e sorgo para incluir novas matéria-primas no processo de produção de combustíveis, compartilhando uma mesma unidade industrial, denominada Usina Integrada ou Usina Flex. No contexto atual, o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias e setores produtivos exige a consideração de suas potenciais implicações energéticas e ambientais. A Avaliação de Ciclo de Vida (ACV) é uma ferramenta da gestão ambiental usada para avaliar impactos ambientais potenciais associados a produtos, processos e serviço. Sua principal característica é se prestar a essa avaliação de forma sistêmica, levando em conta todas as etapas do seu ciclo de vida. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar e comparar os desempenhos ambiental e energético da produção de etanol a partir dos ativos agrícolas cana-de-açúcar, milho e sorgo, no contexto de usina autônoma integrada, segundo a abordagem do ciclo de vida. Para tanto, estudos de ACV foram conduzidos para cada um dos três produtos, seguindo as diretrizes das normas ABNT NBR ISO 14.040:2009 e ABNT NBR ISO 14.044:2009. Para a análise ambiental aplicou-se o método de Avaliação de Impacto do Ciclo de Vida (AICV) ReCiPe midpoint e, para a análise energética, o método Demanda de Energia Cumulativa foi utilizado, seguido pelo cálculo dos Índices de Retorno Energético sobre o Investimento (EROI) para cada combustível. A unidade funcional dos estudos foi 1 m³ de etanol hidratado e o sistema de produto incluiu a produção de insumos, produção da matéria-prima agrícola, produção de etanol, cogeração e etapas de transporte. Os resultados da análise ambiental demonstraram que o etanol de cana-de-açúcar apresenta melhor desempenho do que o etanol de milho e de sorgo em um número maior de categorias de impacto. As análises energéticas demonstraram que o uso de cavaco de madeira na etapa de cogeração dos processos de produção de etanol de milho e sorgo traduziu-se em ganhos energéticos, mas o etanol de cana-de-açúcar ainda apresenta um desempenho melhor por utilizar o bagaço para cogeração. Em termos de EROI, o etanol de cana-de-açúcar disponibilizou 9,77 unidades de energia para cada unidade consumida, o etanol de milho disponibilizou 2,68 e o etanol de sorgo disponibilizou 3,10. / Ethanol is consolidated as fuel to drive light vehicles in Brazil, but for the past 40 years, only the cultivation of sugarcane has been commercially exploited for the production of this fuel. On the other hand, agricultural development has provided high yields of grain in recent decades. Corn production is distinguished by increased productivity, and can be sown as main crop or as a winter crop in rotation with soybeans. Sorghum, in turn, has a higher roughness and tolerance to drought and can act as a substitute for corn. Given this situation, ethanol plants in Mato Grosso were associated with corn and sorghum producers to include new raw materials in the fuel production process, sharing the same plant, called Integrated Plant or Plant Flex. However, the development of new technology and production sectors requires consideration of its potential energy and environmental implications. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is management tool used to evaluate potential environmental impacts associated with products, processes and services. Its main feature is to provide such an assessment in a systematic way, taking into account all stages of their life cycle. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the environmental and energy performance of ethanol production from sugarcane, corn and sorghum in the context of integrated autonomous plant, according to the life cycle approach. For that, LCA studies were conducted for each of the three products, following the guidelines of the standards ISO 14040: 2009 and ISO 14044: 2009. For environmental analysis the method of Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) Recipe midpoint was applied and for energy analysis Cumulative Energy Demand method was used, followed by the estimate of the Energy Return On Investment (EROI) for each fuel. The functional unit of the studies was 1 m³ of hydrous ethanol and the product system includes the production inputs, production of agricultural raw material, production of ethanol, cogeneration and transport stages. The results of the environmental analysis showed that the ethanol sugarcane performs better than the ethanol maize and sorghum in a greater number of impact categories. Energy analyzes have shown that the use of wood chips in cogeneration stage of corn ethanol production processes and sorghum has resulted in energy savings, but the ethanol sugarcane still performs better by using bagasse for cogeneration. In terms of EROI, the sugarcane ethanol provided 9.77 units of energy for every unit consumed, corn ethanol provided 2.68 and sorghum ethanol provided 3.10.

A construção civil é responsável por relevante impacto ao meio ambiente, da extração das materiais-primas até a disposição dos seus resíduos em aterros. A avaliação do ciclo de vida (ACV) é uma ferramenta que possibilita a estimativa dos impactos ambientais potenciais do setor de forma sistemática. A simplificação da ACV, pelo uso de dados secundários e redução do escopo do estudo, facilita sua implementação como ferramenta de promoção da sustentabilidade. O objetivo dessa dissertação é estimar faixas dos cinco principais indicadores do setor de blocos de concreto do mercado brasileiro pela simplificação da ACV: consumo de materiais, energia incorporada, emissão de CO2, água e geração de resíduos. Este estudo foi o piloto do Projeto ACV Modular, iniciativa do Conselho Brasileiro de Construção Sustentável em parceria da Associação Brasileira de Cimento Portland e da Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Blocos de Concreto. O inventário foi desenvolvido com 33 fábricas localizadas em diferentes regiões do Brasil, estas sendo responsáveis por aproximadamente 50% da produção nacional. Os produtos selecionados foram blocos para pavimentação e alvenaria (estruturais e de vedação) considerados mais representativos no mercado. A fronteira do sistema adotada foi do berço ao portão da fábrica. O indicador de consumo de materiais não foi apresentado para garantir a confidencialidade dos dados das empresas, pois o teor de cimento foi dado direto informado no formulário. O indicador de resíduos não pode ser gerado devido a diferentes interpretações adotadas pelos fabricantes ao registrar seus dados. O indicador de água, apesar de incluir todo o consumo informado pela fábrica, apresentou valores muito baixos, alguns próximos a zero. O consumo de cimento, não o teor de clínquer, foi responsável por parcela significativa do CO2 e da energia incorporada do bloco, com participação de 62 a 99% das emissões de CO2. Assim, entre as empresas analisadas, mesmo com igual rota tecnológica, os insumos utilizados, a formulação do concreto, a eficiência de compactação da vibro prensa e o sistema produtivo tiveram maior influência nos indicadores de materiais, energia e CO2. / The civil construction is responsible for significant environmental impact from the extraction of raw materials to the disposal of their waste in landfills. The life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that enables the estimative of the potential environmental impacts of a sector systematically. Simplification of LCA, the use of secondary data and reduce the scope of the study, facilitates its implementation as a tool for promoting sustainability. The purpose of this dissertation is to estimate ranges of the five main indicators of the concrete block industry in the Brazilian market by simplifying the LCA: consumption of materials, embodied energy, CO2 emissions, water and waste generation. This study was the pilot of Modular LCA Project, an initiative of the Brazilian Council for Sustainable Construction (CBCS) in partnership with the Brazilian Portland Cement Association (ABCP) and the Brazilian Association of Concrete Blocks Industry (BlocoBrasil). The inventory was raised from 33 factories located in different regions of Brazil, that accounting for approximately 50% of national production. The products selected were paving and masonry blocks considered most representative in the market. The boundary system adopted was from cradle to factory gate. The indicator material consumption has been omitted to ensure the confidentiality of company data, as the cement content was raised directly by the companies. The waste indicator cannot be generated due to different interpretations adopted by companies to register their data. The water indicator, although it includes all the consumption reported by the factory, showed very low values, some near zero. Cement consumption, not the clinker content, accounted for a significant portion of CO2 emission and embodied energy, accounting 62-99% of CO2. Thus, among the analyzed factories, even with the same technological route, the inputs, the concrete formulation, the compression efficiency of vibro press and the production system had a greater influence on indicators of materials, energy and CO2.

La croissance démographique, l'amélioration de la qualité de vie, et l'intensification des activités énergivores influent fortement sur la demande en énergie au travers de la consommation d'électricité sur un territoire. Le recours aux énergies fossiles constitue la solution la plus adoptée dans les milieux insulaires pour satisfaire cette demande. L'envers de cette méthode réside dans la quantité d'émissions de gaz à effet de serre générée au cours de la production d'énergie et la vulnérabilité de ces territoires. Les politiques actuelles ambitionnent l'atteinte de l'autonomie énergétique dans les milieux insulaires à moyen terme, et favorisent l'utilisation des énergies renouvelables pour restreindre les émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Ces travaux ont pour objet de quantifier les impacts environnementaux liés à la production d'électricité de La Réunion afin d'établir un diagnostic territorial. À partir de l'Analyse de cycle de vie et suivant les normes ISO 14044, les centrales de production d'électricité du territoire sont évaluées sous différents impacts environnementaux. La démarche adoptée a été de mettre en place un outil d'évaluation adapté à tout territoire, permettant d'identifier les étapes et les processus fortement contributeurs pour la production de 1 kWh électrique. Les résultats de ce diagnostic servent de points de repère pour élaborer les scénarios de production, établis dans une démarche de modélisation prospective. Huit scénarios proposés ont été développés pour répondre aux contraintes environnementales, techniques, sociales et économiques. / Population growth, the raising of the standard of living and quality of life, and energy-intensive activities are key parameters affecting the territory energy demand, through electricity consumption. To meet this demand, reliance on fossil fuels is the main adopted solution, particularly in insular context. The downside of this method is the large amount of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emitted, and vulnerability of the territories. Current policies are now in favor of the energy self-sufficiency as a medium-term objective, and put in place measures to support the use of sustainable energy sources to mitigate GHG emissions. This work aims to assess environmental impact of electricity production in Reunion island, to establish a territorial diagnosis. Based on a life cycle assessment approach, according to ISO 14044 standards, varying environmental impacts have been evaluated from existing power plants. An evaluating tool has been developed to identify the most emissive life cycle stage from 1 kWh electricity produced. The obtained results serve as a reference point to develop prospective scenarios. Eight scenarios have been presented and aim to satisfy environmental, technical, social and economic constraints.

La présente thèse entend examiner les interactions présentes et futures entre l'industrie sidérurgique européenne et son environnement, avec pour objectifs principaux, l’amélioration de la prise de décision et l'élaboration de politiques industrielles en matière de durabilité et de circularité. La thèse contribue à l’émergence de propositions contribuant à façonner l'avenir de l'acier dans l’Union Européenne. L'industrie sidérurgique européenne est utilisée ici comme un cas d’école, visant à explorer les avantages potentiels pour l’économie circulaire et l’écologie industrielle, d’une intégration d’un outil (Analyse du Cycle de Vie – ACV) dans une méthodologie (Dynamique des Systèmes – SD). Un modèle modulaire pour l’industrie sidérurgique européenne a été construit et, pour 4 des 5 articles développés dans la thèse, 21 simulations ont été effectuées. 12 simulations ont permis d’identifier les contraintes potentielles et les avantages des stratégies de fin de vie; 5 d’évaluer les avantages et les inconvénients des différentes stratégies d’intégration de la chaîne d’approvisionnement (SCI) dans la filière européenne de l’acier; et 4 de traiter des interactions entre les dynamiques biophysiques et économiques sur le marché de l'acier. Le dernier article s’appuie sur une nouvelle méthodologie – les Cercles de Durabilité et le Métabolisme Urbain Durable – pour évaluer les défis et les contributions de l'acier dans le cadre de l’éco-fonctionnalité en milieu urbain. Les résultats ont montré que l’intégration de l’ACV dans les stratégies de développement durable permettait de reproduire assez fidèlement les résultats et les scénarios d’études scientifiques antérieures, tout en suggérant des apports méthodologiques relativement novateurs. Cette recherche opérationnelle est susceptible d'intéresser les managers et des chefs d’entreprises qui s’attachent aux questions d’efficience et de résilience de l’outil industriel, ainsi que les décideurs politiques qui souhaitent cerner les enjeux d’une pénurie de matières premières ou d’une politique de recyclage de l’acier à l’échelle européenne. D'après les résultats de chaque article, il a été observé que (a) le recyclage et la réutilisation pourraient générer des résultats intéressants à moyen et à long terme en matière de circularité, en abandonnant notamment les combustibles fossiles et en développant un tout nouveau marché autour des services de fin de vie; (b) différentes approches en matière de chaine logistique intégrée semblent être prometteuses d'un point de vue environnemental et stratégique; (c) six variables biophysiques clés peuvent avoir une incidence notoire sur les cours au comptant, les cours à terme, les marges d'EBITDA, l'utilisation des capacités de production, la distribution des dividendes et les coûts de fabrication de l'acier; et (d) la dynamique servicielle dans le cadre de l’éco-fonctionnalité peut apporter des avantages significatifs aux villes durables, tout en modifiant considérablement la structure de l’offre sur le marché de l’acier. / The present thesis delved into the current and future interactions within the European Steel Industry and of it with the environment it is a part of, with the main objective of supporting decision- and policy-making efforts oriented towards sustainability and circularity, helping to shape the future of steel in the European Community. The thesis used the European Steel Industry as a case study to explore the potential benefits of integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into System Dynamics (SD) under the scopes of Circular Economy and Industrial Ecology. A model representative of the European Steel Industry was built modularly in Stella Architect, following ILCD and ISO guidelines and standards for LCA. Throughout 4 of the 5 articles developed for the present thesis, 21 simulation runs were performed on the aforementioned model: 12 on identifying potential constraints and benefits of End-of-Life policies; 5 assessing the advantages and disadvantages of different Supply Chain Integration (SCI) strategies along European steel supply chains; and 4 addressing the interactions between biophysical and economic dynamics in the steel market. An additional article was developed using the methodologies of Circles of Sustainability and Sustainable Urban Metabolism to appraise the challenges and contributions of steel as part of servitization initiatives in urban environments. Overall results indicated that integrating LCA into SD was not only feasible and capable of reproducing results, trends and behaviors from previous scientific studies, but also of contributing to both methodologies in different levels. This approach has potential to interest policy-makers who seek more granularity within the European Steel Industry as well as decision-makers searching for a broader understanding of their operation’s dynamics beyond the gates, notably regarding raw material scarcity, resource self-sufficiency, and resource ownership retention. From the results of each article it was observed that, (a) pushing for recycling and reuse could generate interesting medium- to long-term results for circularity, transitioning away from fossil fuels and developing a whole new market around end-of-life services; (b) different SCI approaches can be environmentally and strategically promising; (c) six key biophysical variables can distinctively affect spot prices, future prices, EBITDA margins, capacity utilization, dividend payouts, and costs of steelmaking; and (d) servitization can provide significant benefits to sustainable cities, while also being able to substantially alter the supply-side dynamics of steelmaking, highlighting how important it is for steelmakers to pay close attention to the service-providing initiatives that may concern their clients and products.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the globally the most recognised method for quantifying theimpact the a product or service has on the environment through its whole life-span. Theconstruction sector plays a key role in the depletion of the natural resources and the energyconsumption on the planet. Thus it is fundamental that an environmental assessment tool likeLCA should be in close cooperation with the construction process.This thesis focuses on the environmental impact of bridge abutments, and can be divided in twoparts.The rst one focuses on enhancing the automated design in the construction eld. A Python codeis created that focuses on creating the geometry of any type of bridge abutment and conductingthe calculations for the required concrete and reinforcement. The process is attempted to becomecompletely automated.The second part introduces three alternative designs for a bridge abutment that attempt to havethe same structural properties and cooperate successfully with the superstructure, while at thesame time utilize as little material as possible. The possible reduction in material is quantiedin environmental terms after an environmental impact assessment is performed.The results show that dierent designs can have a great impact on the reduction on the materialconsumption and on the impact that the whole structure has on the environment. The resultsin this study might provide the designers with valuable motivation and guidelines to achievehigher sustainability standards in the future.

Water is the most used substance in the world, followed by concrete. Water scarcity is nowadays more common due to concentrated population growth and climate change. Concrete demand is ~15 billion m3 per year fulfilling the need for more and better housing and infrastructure for a growing and wealthier population. Since no other material could fulfil this demand, concrete needs to be produced in a sustainable way, minimizing environmental loads such as water consumption. The water footprint is a tool that measures water use over a products\' life cycle and estimates its potential environmental impacts. Despite the growing concern on water, the existing water footprint methodologies are too complex and require large amounts of data. This study develops a streamlined water footprint methodology for concrete production, simple enough to be useful to the industry and robust enough to be environmentally meaningful. An extensive study on existing water footprint methodologies have been conducted. Then a streamlined methodology was proposed focused on the water flows that are more relevant in concrete production including water quantity and quality letting to meaningful results with less data. Typical water inventory includes the batch water (150-200 H kg/m3), dust control (500-1500 H kg/day), truck washing (13-500 H kg/m3), cement production (0.185-1.333 H kg/kg) and aggregates production (0.116-2.0 H kg/kg). Regarding water quality, the most critical flows - Zinc, Lead, Nitrate, Nitrogen oxides and Sulfur dioxide- were identified based on the contribution of these flows to the potential environmental impacts, the control or influence that the concrete producer has on the activities were these flows appear and the feasibility to measure these flows on site. Concrete water footprint varies due to mix design, technological routes, location and choice of impact assessment method. The results are of interest to the research community as well as to the stakeholders of the cement and concrete industries and a contribution to sustainable construction since study of water footprint is fundamental to improve water efficiency. / A água é a substância mais utilizada no mundo, seguida pelo concreto. A escassez de água é hoje em dia mais comum devido ao crescimento populacional concentrado e às mudanças climáticas. A demanda de concreto é ~15 billion m3 por ano que atende a demanda de mais e melhor moradia e infraestrutura para uma população crescente e mais prospera. Uma vez que nenhum outro material pode satisfazer essa demanda, o concreto precisa ser produzido de forma sustentável, minimizando as cargas ambientais, como o consumo de água. A pegada hídrica é uma ferramenta que mede o uso da água ao longo do ciclo de vida de um produto e estima seus potenciais impactos ambientais. Apesar da crescente preocupação com a água, as metodologias existentes de pegada hídrica são muito complexas e exigem grandes quantidades de dados. Este estudo desenvolve uma metodologia optimizada de pegada hídrica para produção de concreto, simples o suficiente para ser útil para a indústria e robusta o suficiente para ser ambientalmente significativa. Um estudo extensivo em metodologias existentes da pegada da água foi conduzido. Em seguida, uma metodologia optimizada foi proposta focada nos fluxos de água que são mais relevantes na produção de concreto, incluindo quantidade e qualidade, permitindo resultados significativos com menos dados. O inventário de água típica inclui a água de mistura (150-200 H kg/m3), controle de poeira (500-1500 H kg/dia), lavagem de caminhões (13-500 H kg/m3), produção de cimento (0.185-1.333 H kg/kg ) e produção de agregados (0.116-2,0 H kg/kg). Em relação à qualidade da água, os fluxos mais críticos -Zinco, Chumbo, Nitrato, Óxidos de nitrogênio e Dióxido de enxofre-foram identificados com base na contribuição destes fluxos para os potenciais impactos ambientais, o controle ou a influência que o produtor de concreto tem sobre as atividades onde esses fluxos aparecem e a viabilidade para medir esses fluxos no local. A pegada de água de concreto varia devido à formulação, rotas tecnológicas, localização e escolha do método de avaliação de impacto. Os resultados são de interesse para a comunidade de pesquisa, bem como para as partes interessadas das indústrias de cimento e concreto e uma contribuição para a construção sustentável, uma vez que o estudo da pegada hídrica é fundamental para melhorar a eficiência da água.

Klimatförändringar orsakade av utsläpp av växthusgaser är ett globalt problem. I Sverigestår byggbranschen för en stor del av landets klimatpåverkan och det i kombination meden expansiv samhällsbyggnad utgör en stor utmaning för framtiden. Kunskap om hurbyggbranschen kan minska sina växthusgasutsläpp är därför relevant. I den här studienanalyseras befintliga livscykelanalyser utförda på byggnader för att avgöra hur den totalaklimatpåverkan för en byggnad fördelas över dess livscykel. Studien innefattar ävennärmare analys kring vad som orsakar betydande klimatpåverkan i olika skeden av enbyggnads livscykel. En inventering av befintliga studier utfördes med metoden för ensystematisk litteraturöversikt som grund där ett sökprotokoll utformas med sökord ochsökstrategier. Materialet har sedan systematiskt gallrats enligt satta kriterier tills detslutgiltiga urvalet resulterade i 17 studier till analys. Dessa studiers resultatsammanställdes enligt moduluppdelningen i standarden Hållbarhet för byggnadsverk SS-EN 15978:2011, både i absoluta tal och andel av byggnadens totala klimatpåverkan.Modulerna, som motsvarar skeden i en byggnads livscykel, jämfördes med varandra föratt utröna hur klimatpåverkan var fördelad över livscykeln. Bidragande faktorer inomvarje modul studerades för att identifiera faktorer med betydande klimatpåverkan somorsakade en stor skillnad mot övriga moduler. Analysen visar på två skeden som harbetydligt större klimatpåverkan än övriga: produktion av material och konstruktionsdelarsamt drift av byggnaden. Faktorer som är betydande för dessa två skeden är användandetav betong, byggnadens beräknade livslängd samt andelen fossil el som används viddriften av byggnaden framförallt för uppvärmning. Analysmaterialet innehöll storavariationer i syfte och därmed tillvägagångssätt vilket försvårade analysen och visar påbristen av ett gemensamt arbetssätt. Denna studie synliggör behovet av fortsatta studiersom berör biomaterial som kolsänka, framtida arbetssätt med livscykelanalyser, andrafaktorer som markanvändning, skogsbruk och ekonomi samt miljöpåverkanskategorierutöver klimatpåverkan. Detta kan leda till ett utvecklat arbete med att minskabyggbranschens klimatpåverkan. / Climate change as a result of greenhouse gas emissions is a global issue. A large part ofSweden’s climate impact originates from the construction industry and in combinationwith an expansive urban planning it constitutes a big challenge for the future. Knowledgeof how the construction industry can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions is thereforerelevant. In this study, previous life cycle assessment studies on buildings were analyzedto determine how the total climate impact of a building is distributed over its life cycle.Included in this study is also a closer look on what causes considerable climate impact inthe different stages of a building’s life cycle. An inventory of previous studies wasperformed based on the method of a systematic literature review were a search protocolwith search phrases and strategies are constructed. The material went through a systematicscreening process according to certain criteria that resulted in 17 studies used for analysis.A matrix was made of the result of these studies according to the modules in the Europeanstandard Sustainability of construction works EN 15978:2011, with both absolutenumbers and share of total impact. The modules, which represents different phases in abuilding’s life cycle, were compared to each other to establish how climate impact wasdistributed over the life cycle. Contributing factors in each module were examined toidentify factors with considerable climate impact causing modules to differ. The analysisshowed two phases with noticeably bigger impact than the rest: production of materialsand construction parts and the buildings use phase. Factors important for the impact fromthese two phases were the use of concrete, the buildings assumed life span and the amountof fossil electricity used during the use phase, in particular for heating. The analyzedmaterial contained big variations in goal and scope and therefore also assessmentapproach which complicated the analysis and shows the lack of a unified assessmentprocedure. This study shows the need for more studies concerning embodied carbonemissions and the use of bio-based materials, strategies for using life cycle assessmentsin construction, other factors with impact on a building’s sustainability such as land use,forestry, economy and environmental impact categories besides climate change. Thiscould lead to further developed work on reducing climate impact from construction.

<p>The decision process of which technique to choose for remediation of contaminated sites has traditionally focused on the clean up level, the time required and the economical resources. The environmental costs of the remediation are seldom taken into consideration. With a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) it is possible to receive an overall picture of the environmental impacts caused by a remediation technique. In this thesis a comparison of two LCA methods has been made. The methods are named REC and Uva and are used in the Netherlands and Germany. Two remediation techniques, the adsorption technique and the bioremediation technique, were compared and data from a discontinued petrol station were used. The output from the REC method indicated that the adsorption technique causes more environmental costs then the bioremediation technique. The main reason is because the adsorption technique consumes more groundwater and energy. The UvA method presented a different result. According to this method the bioremediation technique causes more environmental costs. This is because the bioremediation technique consumes more energy and causes more emissions. The main reasons of the difference between the REC and the UvA methods are that they use diverse ways to calculate the consumption of energy, have different system boundaries and consider different impact categories. A conclusion of the present study is that a decision process of which remediation technique to use at a contaminated site could be dependent on which method is used as a decision support tool.</p>

The development of composite materials by combining two or more constituents with improved mechanical properties, when compared to either of the constituents alone, has existed since biblical times when straw or horse hair was mixed with clay or mud to produce bricks. During the second half of the twentieth century, modern composites known as fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) - consisting of a reinforcing phase (fibers) embedded into a matrix (polymeric resin or binder) - were developed to meet the performance challenges of space exploration and air travel. With time, externally-bonded FRP applications for strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures gained popularity within the construction industry. To date, the confinement of RC columns using FRP systems is a convenient and well established solution to strengthen, repair and retrofit structural concrete members. This technology has become mainstream due to its cost effectiveness, and relative ease and speed of application with respect to alternative rehabilitation techniques such as steel or concrete jackets. However, significant margins exist to advance externally-bonded composite rehabilitation technologies by addressing economic, technological, and environmental issues posed by the use of organic polymer matrices, some of which are addressed in this dissertation. Articulated in three studies, the dissertation investigates the development of a sustainable, reversible, and compatible fiber reinforced cement-based matrix (FRC) composite system for concrete confinement applications in combination with a novel test method aimed at characterizing composites under hydrostatic pressure. Study 1 develops and characterizes a FRC system from different fiber and inorganic matrix combinations, while evaluating the confinement effectiveness in comparison to a conventional FRP system. The feasibility of making the application reversible was investigated by introducing a bond breaker between the concrete substrate and the composite jacket in a series of confined cylinders. The prototype FRC system produced a substantial increase in strength and deformability with respect to unconfined cylinders. A superior deformability was attained without the use of a bond breaker. The predominant failure mode was loss of compatibility due to fiber-matrix separation, which points to the need of improving fiber impregnation to enable a more efficient use of the constituent materials. Additionally semi-empirical linear and nonlinear models for ultimate compressive strength and deformation in FRC-confined concrete are also investigated. Study 2 compares through a life cycle assessment (LCA) method two retrofitting strategies: a conventional organic-based, with the developed inorganic-based composite system presented in Study 1, applied to concrete cylinders by analyzing three life cycle impact indicators: i) Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions, ii) embodied energy, and, iii) carbon foot print. Overall the cement-based composite provides an environmentally-benign alternative over polymer-based composite strengthening system. Results also provide quantitative information regarding the environmental and health impacts to aid with the decision-making process of design when selecting composite strengthening systems. Study 3 is divided into two parts, Part A presents the development of a novel "Investigation of Circumferential-strain Experimental" (ICE) methodology for characterization of circumferential (hoop) strain of composite laminates, while Part B uses the experimental data reported in Part A to explicitly evaluate the effect of FRP jacket curvature and laminate thickness on strain efficiency. Results showed that the proposed ICE methodology is simple, effective and reliable. Additionally, the ultimate circumferential strain values increased with increasing cylinder diameter, while being consistently lower when compared to similar flat coupon specimens under the same conditions. The ultimate FRP tensile strain was found to be a function of the radius of curvature and laminate thickness, for a given fiber ply density and number. The effect of these findings over current design guidelines for FRP confined concrete was also discussed.