Holistic sustainability assessment of textile-reinforced concrete compared to structural concrete using the example of a roof construction

Authors: Fabian Kufner, Julian Steinhauer, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Petra Rucker-Gramm, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Horstmann

Concrete construction faces increasing sustainability challenges. Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) enables lightweight and resource-efficient components, but its assessment requires holistic methods. This study introduces a multi-criteria model with 36 ecological, economic, and social indicators, applied to five roof variants. The results show that TRC shells reduce material use by up to 90% and achieve the lowest global warming potential. The precast TRC shell ranks highest overall due to automated production, while precast steel-reinforced shells also perform strongly through efficient geometry. The model proves transferable and supports sustainable design decisions.

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100331