Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of PVC And FRP Pipes Through A Gate-To- Gate Approach

Abstract

The demand for water infrastructure systems has been steadily increasing. Over the past few decades, we have seen dramatic increases in urbanization that has substantially added to an already-enhanced need for improvement of wastewater infrastructure systems. Traditionally studies on sewer system design have been focusing on maximizing the economic advantages, while limited work has been done on the analysis of environmental impacts of sewer systems made of different piping materials. In the near future, the best environmental management practices will depend on the design and implementation of creative pipes with lower installation, long-term operation, and maintenance costs. Using SimaPro 7.1.8 LCA software, the life cycle assessments (LCAs) of two different water pipe materials— Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP)—as well as their environmental implications are examined in this work. In our investigation, 13 kg pipe having a diameter of 4 inches and a length of 5 meters was designated as the functional unit. When comparing pipe materials, environmental effects such as Aquatic Eco toxicity, Aquatic acidification, Aquatic Eutrophication, Respiratory inorganics, Global Warming Potential, Ozone layer depletion, Respiratory organics, Non-carcinogens, Carcinogens and Ionizing radiation were measured. The findings indicate that out of all the phases involved in pipe manufacturing, the production phase has the greatest impact on the environment. Fossil fuel is the area most affected by pipe systems, and out of two, PVC has the greatest impact and FRP has the least impact on the majority of these areas.