Risk-informed decision making for utilising recycled materials in infrastructure developments

Tackling climate change has become a critical global priority, with a strong focus on reducing carbon emissions. As a fundamental material in construction, concrete plays a major role in contributing to embedded CO2e emissions. In this context, the utilisation of recycled concrete as part of a circular economy approach holds significant potential to reduce environmental impact. This study develops a risk-informed decision-making framework for utilising recycled materials in infrastructure development. By emphasising the reuse and recycling of materials, the framework provides a basis for evaluating the environmental and economic implications of incorporating circular economy strategies in infrastructure system development. In the example application, the structural performance of utilising recycled materials is assessed, material consumption and waste generation over time are examined, and the material utilisation ratio throughout different stages of infrastructure development is analysed. The case study shows that higher substitution ratios of recycled materials can significantly reduce raw material consumption, demonstrating the high potential for reducing environmental impact.