Systematic review demonstrates environmental impact and sustainability benefits of recycled materials in paving blocks, suggesting circular economy practices in construction.
The construction industry plays a crucial role in socioeconomic development, but is also one of the sectors with the highest environmental impact due to intensive resource extraction, high energy demand, and greenhouse gas emissions. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a strategic tool for quantifying and comparing environmental impacts associated with products and processes across their stages. This study analyzes the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to paving blocks through a systematic literature review, focusing on environmental indicators and common block compositions. Following the PRISMA protocol, 45 articles were selected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The results show that using industrial waste as a substitute for conventional materials enhances the sustainability of paving block production. A growing trend of studies addressing partial replacement of cement and aggregates was observed, reflecting circular economy practices in construction. Global Warming Potential and Cumulative Energy Demand were the most frequently reported impact indicators. These findings highlight that incorporating recycled materials is an effective approach to mitigating environmental impacts in the construction sector.
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Soares et al. (2025) studied this question.
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