{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T22:54:43Z","timestamp":1773183283340,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,25]],"date-time":"2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1740441600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Applied Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Examining the life cycle of structures, such as concrete dams, holds paramount importance for engineers, as it facilitates a comprehensive assessment of overall sustainability, enabling the balancing of the benefits and costs associated with dam development. The recycling of materials emerges as a crucial factor in mitigating environmental impacts. This study employs the IMPACT 2002+ methodology to perform a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a concrete dam, covering the stages from construction to decommissioning. Additionally, carbon footprint analysis (CFA) and life cycle costing (LCC) are performed to pinpoint greenhouse gas (GHG) emission sources and access economic performance. This investigation spans three key-stages: (1) initial construction; (2) decommissioning; (3) hypothetical scenarios with recycling rates for demolished concrete and steel, evaluating how different recycling percentages influence both the environmental benefits and LCC outcomes. The results emphasize the significance of reducing air pollution, with climate change identified as the primary environmental concern compared to ecosystem and resource indicators. The findings show that the carbon footprint associated with the construction of 1 m width of the dam is estimated to be around 355 ton CO2 eq. Furthermore, the total carbon emissions resulting from the demolition of the dam were identified to amount to 735 ton CO2 eq\/m. The recycling of the dam materials after demolition led to a notable reduction in pollution associated with the decommissioning process of the dam, compared to the dams\u2019 destruction without recycling.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/app15052479","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,25]],"date-time":"2025-02-25T10:55:48Z","timestamp":1740480948000},"page":"2479","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Sustainability Enhancement and Evaluation of a Concrete Dam Using Recycling"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0364-4552","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hasan","family":"Mostafaei","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9196-6166","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Niyousha Fallah","family":"Chamasemani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, P.za L. da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2697-6795","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammadreza","family":"Mashayekhi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Civil Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 15433-19967, Iran"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2112-2341","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Naser Safaeian","family":"Hamzehkolaei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Civil Engineering, Bozorgmehr University of Qaenat, Qaen 97619-86844, Iran"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0134-6762","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulo","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Coimbra, Department of Civil Engineering, ISISE, ARISE, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mostafaei, H. (2024). Modal Identification Techniques for Concrete Dams: A Comprehensive Review and Application. 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