Recycled　aggregate　has　emerged　expecting　to　address　raw　materials　shortage　in　construction　sector　by　converting　waste　concrete　into　resource.　Many　researchers　adopted　life　cycle　assessment　(LCA)　to　evaluate　and　compare　environmental　impact　of　recycled　aggregate　concrete　(RAC)　and　natural　aggregate　concrete　(NAC).　However,　there　are　numbers　of　problems　in　applying　the　LCA　in　RAC,　a　unified　treatment　of　the　subject　is　still　lacking.　By　reviewing　existing　corresponding　literature,　this　paper　identified　the　existing　problems　of　applying　the　LCA　method　in　RAC　from　5　aspects,　including　mixture　design　method,　selection　of　functional　units,　allocation　of　inventory,　CO2　uptake　during　the　life　cycle　of　concrete　and　transport　distance　of　recycled　aggregate.　Review　results　indicate　that　when　analyzing　the　environmental　impact　of　RAC　by　LCA,　a　clear　indication　of　the　mixture　design　methods　of　RAC　should　be　given　at　first.　Second,　a　benchmark　method　to　define　the　functional　unit　of　the　LCA　of　RAC　is　urgently　needed　to　make　different　LCA　studies　comparable.　A　method　that　combining　the　effect　of　quality,　mass　and　market　price　on　the　allocation　procedure　of　recycled　aggregate　should　be　further　investigated.　Besides,　ignoring　CO2　uptake　in　the　use　stage　of　RAC　will　lead　to　an　overestimated　CO2　emission　of　RAC.　In　addition,　a　critical　distance　for　recycled　aggregate　is　existed　when　comparing　the　environmental　impact　between　NAC　and　RAC.　At　last,　some　contents　of　recycled　aggregate　concrete　for　further　research　have　been　proposed.　(C)　2019　Elsevier　Ltd.　All　rights　reserved.