Experimental design of green concrete and assessing its suitability as a sustainable building material

Abstract Green concrete is the latest development in the field of construction technology which offers a sustainable and eco-friendly solution as a building material. The cement used in conventional concrete is responsible for releasing high amount of carbon dioxide which is harmful for the environment. The concept of green concrete renders replacement of cement partially or fully by various materials which are either by-products in the production process of other materials or recycled waste. This paper presents the design of green concrete by partially replacing cement by fly ash, which is obtained by burning pulverized coal in electric power generating plants and completely replacing fine aggregate by a 50%–50% combination of glass powder and demolished waste obtained from the construction site and converted to fine powdered form. Further a comparison has been done among the properties of conventional and green concrete followed by a cost/benefit analysis to recommend the use of green concrete as a sustainable building material.