PSI - Issue 64

Federica Russo et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 64 (2024) 1752–1758 Federica Russo, Gabriella Maselli, Antonio Nesticò/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000 – 000

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1. Introduction Environmental sustainability has become increasingly relevant in the global landscape, with a particular focus on critical industrial sectors such as construction. Indeed, the latter has a significant impact on the consumption of natural resources and energy and thus on the emission of greenhouse gases: about 38 percent of global CO 2 emissions are attributable to cement production, raw material extraction and energy consumption in buildings (Ahmed Ali et al., 2020). Faced with this emergency, there has been the development of innovative solutions and technologies aimed at improving energy efficiency and optimizing the use of building resources and materials (Huang et al., 2018). In the area of industrial flooring, in particular, traditional technology is gradually being abandoned in favour of more sustainable approaches geared toward a carbon neutral future. The use of alternative materials, such as viplated strands, can be a more environmentally friendly option. These materials can offer benefits both in terms of lower environmental impact during production and the potential for recycling or reuse, thus contributing to the overall sustainability of the building or industrial facility in which they are made. However, the decision on the choice of materials cannot be based solely on environmental benefits. It is also important to consider other factors such as durability, maintenance, and overall costs over the life cycle of the work. In this sense, the combined use of assessment tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) provides valuable information to assess the environmental and economic impact of different options and guide decisions toward more sustainable and beneficial choices in the long run (Kambanou & Sakao, 2020; Sameer & Bringezu, 2019, Fregonara et al., 2022; Fregonara, 2023). This study defines the methodological framework useful for comparing the environmental and economic performance of two alternative technological solutions for large-scale industrial floors: on one side, the traditional concrete solution; on the other side, an innovative fiber-reinforced concrete solution. The paper is structured as follows. Section 2 examines industrial flooring, with particular focus on the emerging “ tensofloor ” (post-tensioned) technology, the characteristics and advantages of which are highlighted. Section 3 outlines the two assessment methods, LCA and LCC, describing their principles and operational steps. From the integration of LCA and LCC, Section 4 establishes a methodological framework useful for a comparison of the environmental and economic performance of two different alternative technological solutions for large-scale industrial floors. The paper concludes with reflections on the crucial role of LCA and LCC assessment methods and the importance of the approach outlined, envisioning, in the future, an integration with Building Information Modeling (BIM) in order to overcome the limitations associated with traditional assessment methodologies. 2. Construction techniques analysis for industrial flooring Industrial floors are a crucial element in environments dedicated to industrial production and processing. Performing the dual function of walking surface and work surface, they must be designed to withstand multiple stresses, such as heavy traffic, wear and tear, exposure to chemicals, moisture and extreme temperatures. In addition, they must meet strict safety and hygiene standards to ensure a safe and healthy work environment (Cosenza et al., 2019). To date, the most widely used construction techniques include: • Unreinforced concrete paving, which is an economical solution for light uses, with thicknesses ranging from 10 to 15 cm; • Reinforced concrete pavement with increased strength for high loads due to the inclusion of a metal reinforcing mesh; • Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) paving with conventional reinforcement, which combines steel or polypropylene fibers with metal reinforcement for greater resistance to wear and cracking; • FRC flooring without conventional reinforcement, in which fibers perform the function of reinforcement, eliminating the need for metal mesh, with reduced thicknesses (5 to 8 cm).