Description
The use of fibre-reinforced concrete for industrial floors makes it possible to significantly contain the phenomenon of crack formation and propagation, which is the cause of degradation in traditional concrete floors. In fact, the structural fibres in place of the welded mesh form a homogeneous and omnidirectional reinforcement throughout the screed layer and, as a result, increase the load-bearing capacity of the structure due to a high residual tensile strength after cracking.
This study intends to compare the environmental and economic performance of two alternative technological solutions for large span industrial floors: on the one hand, the traditional concrete solution; on the other hand, the innovative one made of fibre-reinforced concrete, specifically, the tensofloor with post-tensioned reinforcement. To this end, an assessment approach based on the integrated use of Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is defined. This approach makes it possible to assess: (i) the financial sustainability of technological solutions considering the costs related to the entire life cycle, from implementation to disposal; (ii) the environmental impacts generated by project alternatives in a cradle-to-grave perspective.
The application of the model to case studies demonstrates that the higher durability of the innovative post-tensioned system compared to the traditional one makes it possible to: reduce maintenance costs, global costs and interruption of production activities; increase functional performance; ensure lower environmental impacts, as the use of smaller quantities of rehabilitation materials results in a significant reduction of CO2 emissions.
