Comparative whole building LCAs: How far are our expectations from the documented evidence?

Saade, Marcella Ruschi Mendes; Guest, Geoffrey; Amor, Ben

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106449

Cited by 70 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 79 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Overall, changing the structural material reduces GWP by 25% and PENRT by 10% while at the same time increasing PERT by 123% (see Figure 4). This result is in line with previous LCA studies, which unequivocally state that the use of wood structures reduces GHG emissions [54]. The large increase in PERT is due to the calculation background used in Oekobaudat: the sunlight absorbed by the trees is attributed to the wood as consumption of renewable energy.…”

Section: Gwp Reduction Potentialsupporting

confidence: 90%

Uncertainty Analysis of Embedded Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Using BIM in Early Design Stages

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With current efforts to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of buildings in the operational phase, the share of embedded energy (EE) and embedded GHG emissions is increasing. In early design stages, chances to influence these factors in a positive way are greatest, but very little and vague information about the future building is available. Therefore, this study introduces a building information modeling (BIM)-based method to analyze the contribution of the main functional parts of buildings to find embedded energy demand and GHG emission reduction potentials. At the same time, a sensitivity analysis shows the variance in results due to the uncertainties inherent in early design to avoid misleadingly precise results. The sensitivity analysis provides guidance to the design team as to where to strategically reduce uncertainties in order to increase precision of the overall results. A case study shows that the variability and sensitivity of the results differ between environmental indicators and construction types (wood or concrete). The case study contribution analysis reveals that the building’s structure is the main contributor of roughly half of total GHG emissions if the main structural material is reinforced concrete. Exchanging reinforced concrete for a wood structure reduces total GHG emissions by 25%, with GHG emissions of the structure contributing 33% and windows 30%. Variability can be reduced systematically by first reducing vagueness in geometrical and technical specifications and subsequently in the amount of interior walls. The study shows how a simplified and fast BIM-based calculation provides valuable guidance in early design stages.

show abstract

Section: Gwp Reduction Potentialsupporting

confidence: 90%

Uncertainty Analysis of Embedded Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Using BIM in Early Design Stages

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Therefore, it is often applied to building certification systems and building benchmarking [87][88][89][90] or used as a tool in decision processes towards sustainable building or neighborhood design [91][92][93]. Many studies show that, in conventional buildings, the majority of the energy and GHG emissions, accounting for 80-90% of the total carbon footprint, are related to the operational stage [94,95].…”

Section: Eco-efficiency Concept and Life Cycle Assessment To Measurementioning

confidence: 99%

Are Short Food Supply Chains More Environmentally Sustainable than Long Chains? A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Eco-Efficiency of Food Chains in Selected EU Countries

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Improving the eco-efficiency of food systems is one of the major global challenges faced by the modern world. Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are commonly regarded to be less harmful to the environment, among various reasons, due to their organizational distribution and thus the shortened physical distance between primary producers and final consumers. In this paper, we empirically test this hypothesis, by assessing and comparing the environmental impacts of short and long food supply chains. Based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, we calculate eco-efficiency indicators for nine types of food distribution chains. The analysis is performed on a sample of 428 short and long food supply chains from six European countries. Our results indicate that, on average, long food supply chains may generate less negative environmental impacts than short chains (in terms of fossil fuel energy consumption, pollution, and GHG emissions) per kg of a given product. The values of eco-efficiency indicators display a large variability across analyzed chains, and especially across different types of SFSCs. The analysis shows that the environmental impacts of the food distribution process are not only determined by the geographical distance between producer and consumer, but depend on numerous factors, including the supply chain infrastructure.

show abstract

“…A meta‐analysis of non‐residential, single, whole‐building LCA studies found that in eight out of eight studies, wood frames achieved lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) than concrete, and in five out of six cases wood was better than steel. The exception here was a steel design credited with high optimization and durability (Saade et al., 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whole‐life embodied carbon in multistory buildings: Steel, concrete and timber structures

Hart

D’Amico

Pomponi

2021

J of Industrial Ecology

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Buildings and the construction industry are top contributors to climate change, and structures account for the largest share of the upfront greenhouse gas emissions. While a body of research exists into such emissions, a systematic comparison of multiple building structures in steel, concrete, and timber alternatives is missing. In this article, comparisons are made between mass and whole‐life embodied carbon (WLEC) emissions of building superstructures using identical frame configurations in steel, reinforced concrete, and engineered timber frames. These are assessed and compared for 127 different frame configurations, from 2 to 19 stories. Embodied carbon coefficients for each material and life cycle stage are represented by probability density functions to capture the uncertainty inherent in life cycle assessment. Normalized results show clear differences between the masses of the three structural typologies, with the concrete frame approximately five times the mass of the timber frame, and 50% higher than the steel frame. The WLEC emissions are mainly governed by the upfront emissions (cradle to practical completion), but subsequent emissions are still significant—particularly in the case of timber for which 36% of emissions, on average, occur post‐construction. Results for WLEC are more closely grouped than for masses, with median values for the timber frame, concrete frame, and steel frame of 119, 185, and 228 kgCO2e/m2, respectively. Despite the advantage for timber in this comparison, there is overlap between the results distributions, meaning that close attention to efficient design and procurement is essential. This article met the requirements for a gold–gold JIE data openness badge described in http://jie.click/badges.

show abstract

Comparative whole building LCAs: How far are our expectations from the documented evidence?

Cited by 70 publications

References 79 publications

Uncertainty Analysis of Embedded Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Using BIM in Early Design Stages

Uncertainty Analysis of Embedded Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Using BIM in Early Design Stages

Are Short Food Supply Chains More Environmentally Sustainable than Long Chains? A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Eco-Efficiency of Food Chains in Selected EU Countries

Whole‐life embodied carbon in multistory buildings: Steel, concrete and timber structures

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About