Sustainability with concrete – The Swiss perspective on the building material
Sustainability in concrete construction means considering the entire life cycle of a structure – from cement production through the use phase to end-of-life. Switzerland pursues a consistently data-driven approach: publicly available datasets from the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the KBOB/ecobau database provide planners with reliable and freely accessible life-cycle data. These enable transparent assessments and support well-founded decisions already in the early stages of project planning.
The presentation illustrates, through concrete examples, how innovations in concrete production and application influence the climate balance. Topics include recycled concrete, CO₂-cured concrete, mixed demolition concrete, concrete with biochar, and optimized aggregates. It also explains how Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Switzerland’s implementation of the new EU Construction Products Regulation (CPR 2024) are integrated into the national framework.
In civil engineering, the results of a VSA life-cycle assessment study on pipe materials and open-cut trench construction are presented. The findings show how concrete and reinforced-concrete pipe systems compare to alternative materials in terms of environmental performance. A case study from a cantonal civil engineering department further demonstrates that, over the entire life cycle, concrete bridges often represent the most sustainable solution – particularly due to their robustness, low maintenance requirements, and long service life. Similarly, a wildlife overpass built in concrete proved to have a more favourable life-cycle balance than a comparable timber structure.
Finally, additional examples from infrastructure projects are presented that highlight the ecological advantages of concrete over other construction materials – for instance, in the construction of roundabouts and bus stops, or in high-performance roadways subject to heavy traffic loads.
