Assessing the construction phase in building life cycle assessment. Life cycle assessment of the 33 kw photovoltaic system on the dana building at the university of michigan. In the field of architecture, this covers a project from its conception and creation through its use and maintenance, and finally to deconstruction, restoration. Analysis of the life cycle impacts and potential for avoided impacts associated with. Lca can be used to obtain credits in the leed certification system for assessments of the environmental impacts of individual building products and all products used in buildings. It highlights the most important set of model parameters to determine whether data quality needs to be improved, and to enhance interpretation of results. Lca were initially developed for the analysis of simple products, i. Life cycle assessment of buildings white paper eurima. The future of building life cycle assessment in practice summary as the architectural and construction industries increasingly emphasize sustainability, more comprehensive methods are being developed to evaluate and reduce environmental impacts by buildings. Model for life cycle assessment lca of buildings eu. This paper looks at what facility management and life cycle are, at the phases of the life cycle costing according to facility management, life cycle costs of buildings, the impact of facility.
Lifecycle assessment and the environmental impact of buildings. A life cycle assessment lca is an analytical tool used to quantify and interpret the flows toandfrom the environment e. Pdf life cycle assessment of building end of life researchgate. Life cycle assessment lca is emerging as one of the most. In north america, the athena impact estimator for buildings is the only free software tool that is designed to evaluate whole buildings and assemblies based on internationally recognized life cycle assessment lca methodology.
The purpose of this study is to conduct a standalone life cycle assessment lca intended for the solar panel manufacturers gaia solar. Life cycle assessment lca of building materials for the evaluation. To improve the costeffectiveness of its building and renovation programs, stanford must invest in designs and systems with improved longterm performance. Life cycle assessment department of environmental affairs. Marine drive residence at the university of british columbia quicktime and a tiff uncompressed decompressor are needed to see this picture. For example, benchmarking, environmental tobacco smoke control, integrated pest management and radon are requirements covered by dod policy at later project stages. Life cycle assessments a guide on using the lca build up eu. Analysis of the life cycle impacts and potential for avoided impacts associated with singlefamily homes. Pdf the paper deals with how the buildings end of life is assessed in lca, throughout a study based on european standard and literature. It introduces the concept of life cycle assessment to building professionals and explains how to determine the environmental impacts of a building step by step. Life cycle assessment of residential buildings request pdf. How to conduct a proper sensitivity analysis in life cycle. Life cycle assessment framework for establishing product.
Life cycle analysis lca applied to buildings aims to assess the potential environmental of buildings over the complete life cycle, from materials production to the endof life and management of waste disposal. Of particular import is the need to understand the balance between the impact of materials used exterior envelope systems and their effect on the use phase of buildings. In this paper, we outline an approach to a life cycle analysis for residences, using the results of a typical construction cost estimate to map into tools for environmental life cycle assessment. Using bim to calculate accurate building material quantities. Together, lcas and lccas provide the essential components of a comprehensive costbenefit analysis. While lccas take into account the lifecycle costs of building designs and systems, a lifecycle assessment lca evaluates the environmental impacts of products, services, and systems see lifecycle assessment lca. Quantifying building life cycle environmental impacts. A practice guide referred to as the practice guide in this document. Lca is an important decision making support tool applicable for buildings. Based on the user input, the tool is installed as an msexcel file that contains six assembly. Nc life cycle cost analysis lcca nj green building manual.
This model will be used for the benchmarking of the environmental life cycle performance of the structural system of buildings. Life cycle assessment for residential buildings concrete. This research simplifies the calculation of the initial embodied energy iee for commercial office buildings. Pdf assessing the construction phase in building life. Facility management and its importance in the analysis of building life cycle article pdf available in procedia economics and finance 26. Interactions within the lca calculation model and correlations within life. Life cycle assessment lca is an analytical technique for assessing potential environmental burdens and impacts throughout a products life from raw material acquisition through production, use and disposal iso 2006.
Life cycle assessment of buildings a futureproofed. Many technical documents already exist that present how lca of. Thin film laminates, multicrystalline modules, and balance of system components sergio pacca, deepak sivaraman and gregory a. Life cycle analysis lca, building sustainability, thermal. Guidance on life cycle cost analysis required by executive order 123 april 2005 prepared for department of energy federal energy management program washington, dc 20585 by sieglinde k.
Sensitivity analysis sa is a significant tool for studying the robustness of results and their sensitivity to uncertainty factors in life cycle assessment lca. The usage of lifecycle assessment as an environmental management tool started in the 1960s. Life cycle assessment of a cross laminated timber building. Impact estimator for buildings life cycle assessment software. The model is applied to common construction materials, at the material level, and structural systems, at the building level, to provide additional guidance in its application and to identify main limitations. Lifecycle assessment of beijing area building energy use and. Using life cycle assessment at the building level is not new, but has until now. Analysis of the life cycle impacts and potential for. A life cycle assessment lca model can be utilized to help evaluate the embodied energy in building. For each case study we interviewed the leaders in life cycle cost analysis at each agency. Twentyfour industry trade organisations are contributing and it is anticipated that this project will provide an accepted method for gathering and presenting environmental information which will enable clients. An approach called life cycle assessment lca is used to quantify life cycle environmental impacts of buildings. Using life cycle assessment at the building level is not new, but has until. Life cycle assessment lca represents an emerging methodology aimed at comprehensively evaluating the environmental impacts of products, processes, or services through their life span.
Keoleian center for sustainable systems, report no. Nc lifecycle assessment lca nj green building manual. A simple example introduction page 3 introduction this document presents a simple example of the steps in life cycle assessment of buildings. Guidance on lifecycle cost analysis required by executive. Life cycle inventory lci phase of life cycle assessment involving the compilation and quantification of inputs and outputs for a product throughout its life cycle iso 14040. Model for life cycle assessment lca of buildings eu science hub. Little after, in 1993, the first definition of this tool was developed, publishing a number. Cycle assessment methodology is a holistic tool which makes it possible to. Inputs like material extraction and manufacturing and outputs such as carbon emissions are measured over the entire life cycle of the building.
Life cycle assessment of timber, modified timber and aluminiumclad timber windows. Even though the lca is standalone, the methodology and guidelines for performing such a study on a photovoltaic pv system are standardized in order to. A life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts of a. Currently we see building rating schemes and national legislations integrating life cycle assessment at the building level as a tool for better decisionmaking to improve the environmental performance of buildings. Towards environmental profiling for office buildings using life cycle assessment lca by. Life cycle assessment lca is one of the best mechanisms for allowing architects and other building professionals to understand the energy use and other environmental impact associated with all the phases of a building s life cycle. The guidelines for life cycle cost analysis lcca instruct project teams to consider not only the.
Pdf sustainable development requires methods and tools to measure and compare the environmental impacts of human activities for various. In addition, we would like to thank those individuals at each agency that provided us substantial support for this report. This is the primary document of the lca practice guide. Life cycle assessment of a cross laminated timber building durlinger, b, crossin, e and wong, j 20, life cycle assessment of a cross laminated timber building, forest and wood products, melbourne, australia. Lifecycle assessment of beijingarea building energy use and emissions summary findings and policy applications buildings are at the locus of three trends driving chinas increased energy use and emissions. Analysis of the life cycle impacts and potential for avoided. Pdf facility management and its importance in the analysis. Athena impact estimator allows the tabulated results to be directly exported to msexcel or pdf. Building for life 12 bfl12 is led by three partners.
Fuller, economist office of applied economics building and fire research laboratory national institute of standards and technology gaithersburg, md 20878. Pdf life cycle assessment lca in buildings and environmental. Duncan m cnicholl civl 498c march 27, 2009 quicktime and a tiff uncompressed decompressor are needed to see this picture. Whole building life cycle assessment wblca of mass timber.
Life cycle assessment lca studies have compared the impacts of different framing materials with mixed results. Life cycle assessment of example packaging systems for milk 2 life cycle stages considered the study assesses the potential environmental impacts for the full life cycle of each milk packaging system, also often called a cradle to grave approach. The objective of this paper is to discuss design methods for sustainable, high performance facades, and the necessary steps in ensuring that the environmental factors and energy. Developing lifecycle management plans examples gravity pipes, rcp, built life cycles and by their influence on the performance of a building over its service life. Css0509 university of michigan, ann arbor, michigan. A small gingerbread house is used instead of a real life building for the sake of simplicity, and also to focus.
Local communities, local authorities and developers are encouraged to use it to guide discussions about creating good places to live. This means that the milk container systems were assessed from raw. Life cycle assessment of the 33 kw photovoltaic system on the. While lcas take into account environmental impacts, life cycle cost analysis lcca evaluates the lifecycle costs of building designs and systems see life cycle cost analysis lcca. Life cycle assessment of asphalt pavement maintenance. The main function of the building is classroom oriented space, however it also includes a staff. This report details a life cycle assessment conducted for the neville scarfe building at the university of british columbia. The portion of the building studied was built in 1961 and is a concrete building with suspended slab floors throughout. Life cycle assessment lca is the calculation and evaluation of the environmentally relevant inputs and outputs and the potential environmental impacts of the life cycle of a product, material or service sabs iso, 1998. Aia guide to building life cycle assessment in practice. Using life cycle assessment at the building level is not new, but has until now been used only on a very small scale. Building for life 12 is a governmentendorsed industry standard for welldesigned homes and neighbourhoods.