Carbon Footprint Assessment of a Bore Pile Contractor: A Case Study from Thailand

While assessments of organizational carbon footprint (CFO) are common across various sectors, studies specifically examining the CFO of construction organizations, especially bored pile contractors, remain scarce. This study evaluated the carbon footprint of a Thai bored pile contractor in 2022, during which 146 projects were completed across 20 provinces, involving 3,454 bored piles (1,998.90 m³), 122,058.04 kg of reinforcement steel, and 1,832.62 m³ of ready-mix concrete.

The carbon footprint assessment covered both the construction unit and the head office, adhering to the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization guidelines.

The total carbon footprint was 712.099 tCO₂e, comprising Scope 1 direct emissions (66.231 tCO₂e, 9.30%), Scope 2 emissions from electricity (2.886 tCO₂e, 0.4%), and Scope 3 other indirect emissions (642.982 tCO₂e, 90.29%). Construction activities accounted for 706.234 tCO₂e (99.18%), while office operations contributed only 5.865 tCO₂e (0.82%). Emission intensities were 36.06 kgCO₂e/m³ for bored pile drilling, 1.16 kgCO₂e/kg for reinforcement steel, and 268.62 kgCO₂e/m³ for ready-mix concrete. Construction materials, particularly ready-mix concrete and deformed bars, were the main contributors (634.150 tCO₂e, 89.05%).

GHG emissions were primarily associated with construction materials, especially ready-mix concrete and reinforcement steel. These two materials were also overused by 9.30% and 8.94%, respectively, indicating opportunities to improve resource efficiency.

The findings highlight the importance of enhancing resource efficiency, prioritizing environmentally friendly products, and sourcing materials locally as key strategies to reduce GHG emissions. The study also provides benchmarks for bored pile contractors to measure environmental impact and promote sustainability in the construction sector.