ABSTRACT
This article evaluates, through a life cycle assessment (LCA), the environmental impacts of a sediment-based geopolymer mortar mixed with alkaline reagents. The obtained results were compared to the use of classic Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) for treating dredged sediment with similar compressive strength. Dredging methods as well as transport were taken into account in addition to the mix-design and fabrication methods. In order to quantify the sensibility of the chosen hypothesis, a sensitivity analysis was also conducted to make the methodology more robust. Throughout the analysis, it could be concluded that the use of alkaline reagent reduces the impact on climate change but does not lead to better impact results than OPC for all other categories considered. Therefore, the use of alternative local precursors is not sufficient and market potential of geopolymer mortars will depend on an alternative to the alkaline reagents currently used for geopolymerization.
