A life cycle assessment study of pre-stressed concrete poles in Thailand

In recent years, global societies are increasingly concerning about environmental quality and seeking ways to mitigate environmental impacts. As such, the complete environmental profile of products is required to make the products more environmentally friendly. This study undertook a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) of pre-stressed concrete pole production to identify the environmental impacts from these production processes. The methodology used in this case study of a concrete pole manufacturer in Thailand was based on the environmental aspects and the impacts of processes, guided by ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006 frameworks, before comparing the results with those for other types of utility poles in other studies. The results showed that the most significant impact of the pre-stressed concrete pole in this case study, when comparing life cycle stages, originated from transportation. After transportation, raw materials, particularly cement and steel, played important roles in contributing the most to environmental impacts. Other phases, such as installation, in-plant processing, and disposal, showed a rather limited impact in the overall results. The current study is the primary stage of a life cycle assessment (LCA) study on utility poles in Thailand. It could be beneficial in supplementing information on the environmental impacts of utility poles.