Introduction to the environmental impact of construction and building materials
01 Jan 2014-Iss: 1, pp 1-10
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight relevant landmarks on sustainable development, materials efficiency and on the assessment of the environmental impact of construction products, and present an overview on the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) enforced since the 1 July 2013.
Abstract: Earth’s natural resources are finite and face increasing human pressure. Over the last few decades, concern has been growing about resource efficiency and the environmental impact of material consumption. The construction industry is responsible for the consumption of a relevant part of all produced materials, however, only recently has this industry started to worry about its environmental impacts. This chapter highlights relevant landmarks on sustainable development, materials efficiency and on the assessment of the environmental impact of construction products. An overview on the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) enforced since the 1 July 2013 is given followed by an outline of the book.
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TL;DR: Re reuse benefits depended on aggressive reuse rates (>70%) and multiple reuses of steel were needed to offset the embodied environmental impacts during steel production, and the analyses showed that process-based LCA and hybrid LCA can generate conflicting results in a C2C LCA.
53 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the US building sector is left with the mission of carving their way into the circular economy (CE) beyond Eurocentric approaches, and the US stakeholders are tasked with carving their own way into CE.
Abstract: As discussions around the circular economy (CE) start to move beyond Eurocentric approaches, US stakeholders are left with the mission of carving their way into CE. The US building sector h...
26 citations
Cites background from "Introduction to the environmental i..."
...As a result, the sector will need to increase resource efficiency from fourfold to 10fold in the next few decades (Pacheco-Torgal 2014)....
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...As the population grows, construction activities are projected to keep growing and material demand is expected to double by 2050 (Pacheco-Torgal 2014)....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated and compared the environmental performances of an unstrengthened reinforced concrete (RC) beam with those of different carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) flexural strengthening techniques.
Abstract: The properties of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have led to a significant increase of civil engineering applications based on the usage of these materials. In the construction sector, FRP are mainly used for strengthening existing buildings, thus creating the possibility of avoiding the environmental problems resulting from demolishing these structures and constructing new ones. In the light of this new opportunity, the present paper aims at evaluating and comparing the environmental performances of an unstrengthened reinforced concrete (RC) beam with those of different carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) flexural strengthening techniques. The paper uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology in order to determine the most environmentally friendly solution in the case of an existing RC beam which does not properly satisfy the structural demands. The authors have decided to use the Cradle-to-Gate LCA type of study, considering that the primary goal of the paper is to establish whether strengthening and reusing an existing RC beam can be considered a more viable environmentally friendly proposal in contrast with demolishing the existing structural element and constructing a new one. The following impact categories are used with the purpose of achieving a clear understanding of the products’ environmental influence: Climate Change, Human Toxicity, and Ozone Depletion. Their environmental performances are evaluated using the GaBi 6 software. The obtained results show that all the assessed CFRP strengthening solutions have a significantly lower environmental impact in comparison with those of the RC beam. In the case of the analysed RC structural element, the highest impact is attributed to the manufacturing stage of the cement and to the steel reinforcements. In most of the CFRP strengthening schemes, the environmental impact is mainly influenced by the amount of component materials (fibre and resin) used for manufacturing the considered composite elements. The resulted values for the environmental parameters in the assessed case studies encourage the authors to assert that the usage of composite materials in specific civil engineering applications can represent an environmentally friendly solution. The environmental aspect of sustainability can thus be achieved in this industry by using particular FRP strengthening applications. Moreover, the negative effects of modern society over Earth can be reduced. The paper concludes that the usage of composite materials can represent an important step towards the sustainable development of the construction sector.
23 citations
Cites background from "Introduction to the environmental i..."
...…2014; Ewing et al. 2010; Ingrao et al. 2014; Marinkovic et al. 2014; Maxineasa and Taranu 2013; Messari-Becker et al. 2013; Miller and Ip 2013; Pacheco-Torgal and Labrincha 2013; Pacheco-Torgal 2014; Rossi 2014; Simion et al. 2013; Solis-Guzman et al. 2014; Tautsching and Burtscher 2013; Yao 2013)....
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...With regards to the developed countries, the condition of the existing building stock represents an important environmental issue (Bingel and Bown 2009; Hirst 2013; Ibbotson and Kara 2013; Motavalli et al. 2010; Napolano et al. 2015; Pacheco-Torgal and Labrincha 2013; Pacheco-Torgal 2014)....
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...stock represents an important environmental issue (Bingel and Bown 2009; Hirst 2013; Ibbotson and Kara 2013; Motavalli et al. 2010; Napolano et al. 2015; Pacheco-Torgal and Labrincha 2013; Pacheco-Torgal 2014)....
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...This field uses annually between 40 and 50 % of all raw materials extracted worldwide, and is also responsible for: over 40 % of the total greenhouse gases emissions, for approximately 40 % of the global energy consumption and for producing about 25 % of the entire amount of waste (Ding 2014; Ewing et al. 2010; Ingrao et al. 2014; Marinkovic et al. 2014; Maxineasa and Taranu 2013; Messari-Becker et al. 2013; Miller and Ip 2013; Pacheco-Torgal and Labrincha 2013; Pacheco-Torgal 2014; Rossi 2014; Simion et al. 2013; Solis-Guzman et al. 2014; Tautsching and Burtscher 2013; Yao 2013)....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the concrete conquest of aquatic ecosystems and suggest that the status quo of concrete being the default construction material is failing aquatic ecosystems, so they recommend that efforts are made to explore alternative materials and if concrete must be used, to increase structural complexity to benefit biodiversity.
19 citations
Cites methods from "Introduction to the environmental i..."
...By applying LCA to concrete, it is possible to optimize social, economic, and environmental aspects, from ‘cradle to grave’ (Pacheco-Torgal, 2014) or ‘cradle to cradle’ (McDonough and Braungart, 2010)....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of the state of the art of wood constructions with a particular focus on energy efficiency, which could serve as a valuable source of information for both industry and scholars.
Abstract: The main goal of this study was to review current studies on the state of the art of wood constructions with a particular focus on energy efficiency, which could serve as a valuable source of information for both industry and scholars. This review begins with an overview of the role of materials in wood buildings to improve energy performance, covering structural and insulation materials that have already been successfully used in the market for general applications over the years. Subsequently, studies of different wood building systems (i.e., wood-frame, post-and-beam, mass timber and hybrid constructions) and energy efficiency are discussed. This is followed by a brief introduction to strategies to increase the energy efficiency of constructions. Finally, remarks and future research opportunities for wood buildings are highlighted. Some general recommendations for developing more energy-efficient wood buildings are identified in the literature and discussed. There is a lack of emerging construction concepts for wood-frame and post-and-beam buildings and a lack of design codes and specifications for mass timber and hybrid buildings. From the perspective of the potential environmental benefits of these systems as a whole, and their effects on energy efficiency and embodied energy in constructions, there are barriers that need to be considered in the future.
8 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined some of the routes that may be followed to further improve the environmental performance of concrete, which is the largest volume material used by man and is irreplaceable for innumerable large infrastructure developments.
Abstract: Concrete is the largest volume material used by man and is irreplaceable for innumerable large infrastructure developments. From the point of view of natural resources, ecology and economy, it is virtually impossible to imagine substituting concrete by any other material. However, because of the large volumes used, its total energy and CO2 footprint is important. This material therefore needs to be improved and small steps can have a big impact, once again because of the large volumes involved. This review paper examines some of the routes that may be followed to further improve the environmental performance of concrete.
287 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed analysis of life cycle assessment (LCA) results of different building components (e.g. wooden wall, concrete roof) on different levels of simplification (from a comprehensive LCA including all materials and processes to the fully reduced component including only the main materials remaining in the component).
245 citations
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors identified the critical success factors (CSFs) for on-site sorting of construction waste in China and adopted a set of methods including CSF approach, pilot study, questionnaire survey and face-to-face interview to facilitate the identification and analysis of CSFs.
Abstract: Benefits of conducting on-site sorting of construction waste, typically including increasing the rates of reuse and recycling, reducing the cost for waste transportation and disposal, prolonging the lifespan of landfills designed for receiving non-inert construction waste, and lessening the pollution resulted from the huge amount of construction waste, have been extensively investigated by previous studies. However, effective implementation of construction waste sorting requires a wide range of factors involving human beings, management, technology, environment and resources. So far, we know little about how to conduct effective construction waste sorting in China. This research therefore aims to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) for on-site sorting of construction waste in China. A set of methods including CSF approach, pilot study, questionnaire survey and face-to-face interview are adopted to facilitate the identification and analysis of the CSFs. Six factors including (1) manpower, (2) market for recycled materials, (3) waste sortability, (4) better management, (5) site space, (6) equipment for sorting of construction waste, are considered the CSFs for effective on-site sorting of construction waste in Shenzhen, China. These CSFs are of great significance both to researchers and industry practitioners.
235 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a simplified case study of an institutional building and used a dynamic life cycle assessment (DLCA) approach and illustrates the potential importance of the method using a simplified Case Study of an Institutional Building.
Abstract: This paper uses a dynamic life cycle assessment (DLCA) approach and illustrates the potential importance of the method using a simplified case study of an institutional building. Previous life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have consistently found that energy consumption in the use phase of a building is dominant in most environmental impact categories. Due to the long life span of buildings and potential for changes in usage patterns over time, a shift toward DLCA has been suggested. We define DLCA as an approach to LCA which explicitly incorporates dynamic process modeling in the context of temporal and spatial variations in the surrounding industrial and environmental systems. A simplified mathematical model is used to incorporate dynamic information from the case study building, temporally explicit sources of life cycle inventory data and temporally explicit life cycle impact assessment characterization factors, where available. The DLCA model was evaluated for the historical and projected future environmental impacts of an existing institutional building, with additional scenario development for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of future impacts. Results showed that overall life cycle impacts varied greatly in some categories when compared to static LCA results, generated from the temporal perspective of either the building's initial construction or its recent renovation. From the initial construction perspective, impacts in categories related to criteria air pollutants were reduced by more than 50 % when compared to a static LCA, even though nonrenewable energy use increased by 15 %. Pollution controls were a major reason for these reductions. In the future scenario analysis, the baseline DLCA scenario showed a decrease in all impact categories compared with the static LCA. The outer bounds of the sensitivity analysis varied from slightly higher to strongly lower than the static results, indicating the general robustness of the decline across the scenarios. These findings support the use of dynamic modeling in life cycle assessment to increase the relevance of results. In some cases, decision making related to building design and operations may be affected by considering the interaction of temporally explicit information in multiple steps of the LCA. The DLCA results suggest that in some cases, changes during a building's lifetime can influence the LCA results to a greater degree than the material and construction phases. Adapting LCA to a more dynamic approach may increase the usefulness of the method in assessing the performance of buildings and other complex systems in the built environment.
188 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on refining the US residential building lifetime, as well as lifetime of interior renovation products that are commonly used as interior finishes in homes, to improve LCA results.
Abstract: Many life cycle assessment (LCA) studies do not adequately address the actual lifetime of buildings and building products, but rather assume a typical value. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of lifetime on residential building LCA results. Including accurate lifetime data into LCA allows a better understanding of a product’s environmental impact that would ultimately enhance the accuracy of LCA results. This study focuses on refining the US residential building lifetime, as well as lifetime of interior renovation products that are commonly used as interior finishes in homes, to improve LCA results. Residential building lifetime data that presents existing trends in the USA was analyzed as part of the study. Existing product life cycle inventory data were synthesized to form statistical distributions that were used instead of deterministic values. Product elementary flows were used to calculate life cycle impacts of a residential model that was based on median US residential home size. Results were compared to existing residential building LCA literature to determine the impact of using updated, statistical lifetime data. A Monte Carlo analysis was performed for uncertainty analysis. Sensitivity analysis results were used to identify hotspots within the LCA results. Statistical analysis of US residential building lifetime data indicate that average building lifetime is 61 years and has a linearly increasing trend. Interior renovation energy consumption of the residential model that was developed by using average US conditions was found to have a mean of 220 GJ over the life cycle of the model. Ratio of interior renovation energy consumption to pre-use energy consumption, which includes embodied energy of materials, construction activities, and associated transportation was calculated to have a mean of 34% for regular homes and 22% for low-energy homes. Ratio of interior renovation to life cycle energy consumption of residential buildings was calculated to have a mean of 3.9% for regular homes and 7.6% for low-energy homes. Choosing an arbitrary lifetime for buildings and interior finishes, or excluding interior renovation impacts introduces a noteworthy amount of error into residential building LCA, especially as the relative importance of materials use increases due to growing number of low-energy buildings that have lower-use phase impacts.
165 citations