Comparative Assessment of Embodied Carbon and Construction Cost in Concrete and Geotextile-Reinforced Retaining Walls

International Journal of Civil Engineering

© 2025 by SSRG - IJCE Journal

Volume 12 Issue 10

Year of Publication : 2025

Authors : Riza Suwondo, Andryan Suhendra, Militia Keintjem, Mohammed Altaee

10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V12I10P116

How to Cite?

Riza Suwondo, Andryan Suhendra, Militia Keintjem, Mohammed Altaee, "Comparative Assessment of Embodied Carbon and Construction Cost in Concrete and Geotextile-Reinforced Retaining Walls," SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 12,  no. 10, pp. 195-204, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V12I10P116

Abstract:

The construction industry is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. Concrete retaining walls are particularly high in embodied carbon because of their cement and steel components. As a response to rising sustainability challenges, geotextile-reinforced Mechanically Stabilised Earth (MSE) walls have recently been gaining popularity. This study offers an embodied carbon and cost analysis comparison of traditional cast-in-place Concrete Retaining Walls (CRW) and geotextile-reinforced MSE walls. These wall varieties were designed and assessed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 m heights and were kept under similar design and stability constraints. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) emissions accounting followed BS EN 15978, which covers stages A1 to A5, and the cost assessment utilised unit cost rates from the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works. MSE walls use a fraction of the high-embodied-carbon materials necessary for concrete retaining walls and thus have 98% less embodied carbon and are more environmentally beneficial. While MSE walls are less expensive to build at the lower design heights, the costs rise at the higher design heights because of the more expensive reinforced earth construction and excavation necessary. A trade-off analysis highlighted that MSE walls perform best in sustainability for low to medium-height applications, while CRWs are still cost-effective for high structures. This indicates that considering carbon and financial costs for retaining walls would anchor the design for sustainability-focused cross-reasoning in civil infrastructure frameworks.

Keywords:

Embodied Carbon, Retaining Wall Design, Mechanically Stabilised Earth Wall, Construction Cost Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment.

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