Advanced Composite and Geopolymer Materials for Durable Water Supply and Sanitation Infrastructure: Performance, Sustainability, and Lifecycle Assessment

Abstract

This study addresses the problem that water supply and sanitation (WASH) assets fail under coupled pressure, corrosion, and sewer environments, while sustainability appraisals often ignore service life and intervention frequency. The purpose was to benchmark, in a quantitative cross-sectional, case-based evidence synthesis, how advanced composite systems and geopolymer or alkali-activated materials compare on functional performance, durability, and lifecycle sustainability for WASH infrastructure decisions. The sample comprised 92 studies spanning water supply assets (n=38), sanitation assets (n=34), and cross-cutting lifecycle or durability assessments (n=20). Key variables were composite water-performance indicators (pressure/hoop integrity, leakage-risk proxy, ring stiffness, joint reliability, and creep resilience), geopolymer sanitation-durability indicators (acid resistance, sulfate resistance, MICC proxy, abrasion tolerance, transport resistance, and strength retention), and sustainability/implementation indicators (GWP per service year, boundary completeness, and decision-fit feasibility). The analysis plan coded each study on a 5-point Likert support scale and summarized results using descriptive statistics, frequency counts, and service-life normalized impact metrics. Headline findings show strong support for composites in water contexts: 78.9% of water-focused studies were supportive (mean=4.21/5, SD=0.73), with average pressure-capacity or stiffness gains of 18–32% and a 45% mean reduction in corrosion-related degradation rates versus conventional comparators. Sanitation evidence favored geopolymers/AAMs: 73.5% supportive (mean=4.08/5, SD=0.81), with 28–41% lower mass loss under acid or sulfate exposure, 72–85% retained compressive strength after acid conditioning (vs 55–68% for OPC), and about 30% lower surface recession in biogenic corrosion simulations. Lifecycle evidence was supportive but boundary-sensitive (70.0% supportive; mean=3.95/5), indicating an average 22% reduction in GWP per service year for geopolymer pathways and a 17% reduction in cumulative emissions for composite rehabilitation versus full replacement, while decision-fit scores were 4.12/5 for composites and 3.89/5 for geopolymers. These findings imply that utilities should match material choice to exposure regime, require QA for joints and curing, and adopt impact-per-service-year criteria in procurement.