Life-Cycle Assessment of Lightweight Partitions in Residential Buildings

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of service conditions on lightweight partitions in residential buildingsusing life-cycle assessments (LCAs). Three alternative service conditions were included as follows: light/moderate, standard, and intensive. LCAs were conducted for pairwise comparisons among three types of lightweight partitions: gypsum board, autoclaved aerated blocks, and hollow concrete blocks. The functional unit considered was 1 m2 of a partition, and the building’s lifespan was 50 years. In light/moderate conditions, the replacement rate for all three partitions was zero times during the building’s lifespan. In standard conditions, the replacement rate for gypsum board and autoclaved aerated blocks was one time during the building’s lifespan, and for hollow concrete blocks, it was zero times. In intensive conditions, the replacement rate for gypsum board was four times during the building’s lifespan, that for autoclaved aerated blocks was two times, and that for hollow concrete blocks was zero times. The six ReCiPe2016 methodological options were used to estimate environmental damage using a two-stage nested analysis of variance. The results showed that, in light/moderate and standard conditions, gypsum board was the best alternative, while in intensive conditions, hollow concrete blocks were the best alternative. In conclusion, the choice of lightweight partitions should be made while taking the service conditions in residential buildings into account.