مقارن تحليلة للتصميم الأمثل مقابل التصميم المناسب للمنشآت المستدامة

Effect of realistically estimated building lifespan on life cycle assessment: A case study in Korea

Use and performance of conventional and sustainable building technologies in low-income housing

Feeding a growing, increasingly affluent population while limiting environmental pressures of food production is a central challenge for society. Understanding the location and magnitude of food production is key to addressing this challenge because pressures vary substantially across food production types. Applying data and models from life cycle assessment with the methodologies for mapping cumulative environmental impacts of human activities (hereafter cumulative impact mapping) provides a powerful approach to spatially map the cumulative environmental pressure of food production in a way that is consistent and comprehensive across food types. However, these methodologies have yet to be combined. By synthesizing life cycle assessment and cumulative impact mapping methodologies, we provide guidance for comprehensively and cumulatively mapping the environmental pressures (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, spatial occupancy, and freshwater use) associated with food production systems. This spatial approach enables quantification of current and potential future environmental pressures, which is needed for decision makers to create more sustainable food policies and practices.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the environmental impact of different solutions for building facade retrofitting. Based on Sustainable Construction, this study is carried out by applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology based on ISO 14044:2006 standard requirements. A “cradle-to-grave” life cycle analysis is developed for each solution, comprising the extraction of raw materials to the disposal phase, and then a comparative analysis was performed by considering the same functional unit: 1 m2 of building facade for a 40-year time horizon. Four retrofit solutions are assessed: two External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS), differing only in the insulation material, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and insulation corkboard (ICB); and two ventilated facade systems with different types of timber cladding, thermally modified timber, and painted timber. The data included in the inventory phase is mostly taken from technical documentation and from the Ecoinvent database, complemented with scientific literature and estimations when necessary. The LCA was performed using the SimaPro software applying both EPD (2018) and ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (H) methods. Results of this study show that, phase-wise, the production and maintenance of the components materials have higher contribution in terms of environmental impact. On the other hand, by comparing the various solutions, the ventilated facade retrofit solution with heat treated timber cladding is the one that shows the highest environmental impact in almost every single category, whereas the cladding solution with painted timber finish is the one that shows the best environmental performance.

Reviewing the carbon footprint analysis of hotels: Life Cycle Energy Analysis (LCEA) as a holistic method for carbon impact appraisal of tourist accommodation

Regional Environmental Impact Assessment of Renewable Energy System in California

The construction sector plays a key role in the growth of developing countries but faces major environmental challenges, such as greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an essential tool for evaluating these impacts and promoting sustainable choices. However, its effective application is limited by the lack of local databases. This study introduces a systematic framework (LOCAL-LCID2) for creating local Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) databases for developing countries. Its application is demonstrated in Burkina Faso’s (BF) context through a comparative LCA of commonly used materials, covering the cradle-to-gate stage. The methodology follows seven steps: (1) identification of materials, (2) data collection, (3) analysis of material and energy flows, (4) development of LCI database, (5) structuring the database using SimaPro 9.6.0, (6) calculation of environmental impacts via ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint, and (7) uncertainty analysis using the pedigree matrix and Monte Carlo simulation. The materials are categorized into two main groups (imported and locally produced) with five subcategories: materials for roofs, walls/structures, floors, openings, and others. The results show that for wall materials, concrete blocks have the highest Global Warming Potential (GWP), with 88.3% of CO2 emissions attributed to cement, implying an urgent need to optimize cement use and explore alternative binders for sustainable construction. Stabilized earth blocks show intermediate GWP at 65% of concrete block emissions, while straw-stabilized adobe demonstrates the lowest environmental impact, suggesting significant potential for reducing construction’s carbon footprint through traditional material optimization. The importation of steel sheets and ceramic tiles shows high GWP due to their energy-intensive production processes and long-distance transport (4 to 40% of emissions), highlighting opportunities to reduce impacts through local manufacturing and optimization of supply chains. The diversification of BF’s energy mix through clean energy imports from neighboring countries decreases GWP by 26.9%, indicating that regional energy partnerships and renewable energy investments are key pathways for minimizing environmental impacts related to energy consumption in the construction industry. Finally, the uncertainty analysis reveals the need for primary data updates in the current LCI database, highlighting both data quality enhancement opportunities and future research perspectives for industrial process assessment. The methodological framework equips decision-makers in developing countries with tools to implement sustainable construction practices through strategic material selection and regional resource optimization.

Development of a life cycle inventory database and life cycle impact assessment of the building demolition stage: A case study in Germany

Environmental impact of water-use in buildings: Latest developments from a life-cycle assessment perspective

Purpose Infill materials play a pivotal role in determining buildings’ life cycle costing (LCC) and environmental impacts. International standards prescribe LCC and life cycle assessments (LCA) to assess materials’ economic and environmental sustainability. The existing methods of LCC and LCA are tedious and time-consuming, reducing their practical application. This study sought to integrate LCC and LCA with building information modeling (BIM) to develop a swift and efficient approach for evaluating the life cycle performance of infill materials. Design/methodology/approach The BIM model for a case study was prepared using Autodesk Revit®, and the study included four infill materials (lightweight aggregate concrete block (LECA), autoclaved cellular concrete (AAC), concrete masonry and bricks). LCC was conducted using Revit® and Autodesk Insight 360® to estimate costs incurred across different project phases. LCA was conducted using “One Click LCA®,” a BIM-based platform featuring a comprehensive material inventory. Carbon emissions, acidification, and eutrophication were chosen as environmental impact factors for LCA. Findings LECA was the preferred choice due to its lower cost and environmental impact. Its lifetime cost of $440,618 was 5.4% lower than bricks’, with 2.8% lower CO2 emissions than AAC’s, which were second-place options, respectively. LECA had 6.4 and 27% lower costs than concrete blocks, and AAC’s carbon emissions were 32 and 58% lower than concrete blocks and bricks, respectively. Originality/value BIM has been employed for life cycle analysis in existing literature, but its efficacy in evaluating the lifetime costs and environmental impacts of infill materials remains unexplored. The current study presents a BIM-based approach for conducting LCC and LCA of infill materials, facilitating informed decision-making during the planning phase and promoting sustainable construction practices.

Evaluating the environmental impact of agricultural food production systems is a relatively recent research activity and the present methods for assessing the environmental impact associated with production-consumption systems are input-output accounting, ecological footprint analysis, life cycle assessment, financial evaluation of environmental externalities, farm cost and food miles. Complete environmental impact analyses require considerable amounts of data and time and are very likely to be expensive. Preliminary identification of the most-evident environmental hot spots is beneficial in aiding the determination of the analysis scope and goal and in setting the borders of the studied system. In the present study a reconstruction of the production schemes was performed and the identification of evident environmental impact hot spots was performed expert-wise for four selected model food products (hard cooked cheese, dry-cured ham, beer and cauliflower), traditional in Europe. This preliminary hot spot identification was preformed specifically for a conceptual life cycle assessment (LCA) technique in prosecution. In our opinion, these results can also be employed as a basis for many other environmental impact assessment approaches.

Alkali-activated foams (AAFs) are inorganic porous materials that can be obtained at temperatures well below 100°C with the use of inorganic wastes as aluminosilicate precursors. In this case, fly ash derived from a Slovenian power plant has been investigated. Despite the environmental benefits per se, due to saving of energy and virgin materials, when using waste materials, it is of extreme importance to also evaluate the potential leaching of heavy metal cations from the alkali-activated foams. This article presents an environmental study of a porous geopolymer derived from this particular fly ash, with respect to the leachability of potentially hazardous elements, its environmental toxicity as determined by biological testing, and the environmental impact of its production. In particular, attention was focused to investigate whether or not 1,000°C-fired alkali-activated fly ash and metakaolin-based foams, cured at 70°C, are environmentally friendlier options compared to unfired ones, and attempts to explain the rationale of the results were done. Eventually, the firing process at 1,000°C, apart from improving technical performance, could reinforce heavy metal cation entrapment within the aluminosilicate matrix. Since technical performance was also modified by addition of different types of activators (K-based or Na-based), as well as by partial replacement of fly ash with metakaolin, a life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis was performed to quantify the effect of these additions and processes (curing at 70°C and firing at 1,000°C) in terms of global warming potential. Selected samples were also evaluated in terms of leaching of potentially deleterious elements as well as for the immobilization effect of firing. The leaching test indicated that none of the alkali-activated material is classified as hazardous, not even the as-received fly ash as component of new AAF. All of the alkali-activated foams do meet the requirements for an inertness. The highest impact on bacterial colonies was found in samples that did not undergo firing procedures, i.e., those that were cured at 70°C, which induced the reduction of bacterial Enterococcus faecalis viability. The second family of bacteria tested, Escherichia coli, appeared more resistant to the alkaline environment (pH = 10–12) generated by the unfired AAMs. Cell viability recorded the lowest value for unfired alkali-activated materials produced from fly ash and K-based activators. Its reticulation is only partial, with the leachate solution appearing to be characterized with the most alkaline pH and with the highest ionic conductivity, i.e., highest number of soluble ions. By LCA, it has been shown that 1) changing K-based activators to Na-based activators increases environmental impact of the alkali-activated foams by 1%–4% in terms of most of the impact categories (taking into account the production stage). However, in terms of impact on abiotic depletion of elements and impact on ozone layer depletion, the increase is relatively more significant (11% and 18%, respectively); 2) replacing some parts of fly ash with metakaolin also results in relatively higher environmental footprint (increase of around 1%–4%, while the impact on abiotic depletion of elements increases by 14%); and finally, 3) firing at 1,000°C contributes significantly to the environmental footprint of alkali-activated foams. In such a case, the footprint increases by around one third, compared to the footprint of alkali-activated foams produced at 70°C. A combination of LCA and leaching/toxicity behavior analysis presents relevant combinations, which can provide information about long-term environmental impact of newly developed waste-based materials.

Perkembangan industri di Indonesia yang pesat memberikan dampak positif terhadap perekonomian, tetapi juga berdampak negatif pada lingkungan akibat kurangnya perhatian pengelolaan limbah dari kegiatan produksi. Untuk mengurangi dampak buruk tersebut, penerapan konsep produksi bersih menjadi sangat penting. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) merupakan pendekatan untuk mengevaluasi dan mengukur dampak lingkungan secara menyeluruh dari suatu produk sepanjang siklus hidupnya. Kegiatan pengabdian ini bertujuan untuk memberikan pengetahuan kepada Pengawas dan Analis Lingkungan di Dinas Lingkungan Hidup (DLH) Kabupaten Pangkep dalam memahami, memonitoring, dan mengevaluasi dampak lingkungan perusahaan sesuai persyaratan PROPER Nasional, s Jurusan Teknik Mesin, Fakultas Teknik dan Informatika, Universitas Patria Artha.erta mendukung tercapainya beberapa poin Sustainable Development Goals. Kegiatan pengabdian ini dilakukan dengan metode transfer IPTEKS kepada pihak mitra (DLH). Luarannya adalah kemampuan mitra dalam mengidentifikasi area perbaikan, tahapan siklus hidup penyebab dampak signifikan, melakukan penilaian dan evaluasi dampak lingkungan, menyampaikan hasil LCA, serta memberikan informasi berbasis data untuk pengambilan keputusan. Selama kegiatan pengabdian dilakukan pengukuran tingkat pemahaman peserta pelatihan tentang LCA dengan membagikan kuesioner pra kegiatan dan pasca kegiatan. Dari hasil kuesioner pra kegiatan menunjukkan 90% peserta belum pernah mendengar dan mempelajari terkait LCA. Berdasarkan kuesioner pasca kegiatan menunjukkan bahwa 100% peserta sudah mengetahui penggunaan dan pemanfaatan LCA secara umum dalam melakukan penilaian dampak lingkungan. ABSTRACT The rapid industrial development in Indonesia has a positive impact on the economy, but also has a negative impact on the environment due to a lack of attention to waste management from production activities. To reduce these adverse impacts, the implementation of cleaner production concepts becomes very important. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an approach to evaluate and measure the overall environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle. This community service activity aims to provide knowledge to Environmental Supervisors and Analysts at the Pangkep Regency Environmental Service in understanding, monitoring, and evaluating the environmental impact of companies according to the requirements of the National PROPER, as well as supporting the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals points. This community service activity is carried out using the Science and Technology transfer method to the party (DLH). The expected outcomes are the ability of partners to identify areas for improvement, life cycle stages that cause significant impacts, conduct environmental impact assessments and evaluations, convey LCA results, and provide data-based information to support decision-making. During the community service activity, the level of understanding of the training participants about LCA was measured by distributing pre-activity and post-activity questionnaires. The results of the pre-activity questionnaire showed that 90% of participants had never heard of or studied LCA. Based on the post-activity questionnaire, it showed that 100% of participants were aware of the general use and utilization of LCA in conducting environmental impact assessments. Keywords: Life cycle assessment, production system, environmental impact, product life cycle.

Besides economic and welfare aspects, breeding might also reduce environmental impacts, such as use of water or land, or emission of CO2, methane or ammonia Thus, environmental impacts have received increasing attention in the definition of breeding goals. Environmental impacts occur not only at the farm level, but also during the production of farm inputs (upstream processes), such as feed production, or during processing or selling of animal products (downstream processes). A method commonly used to assess the environmental impact of livestock or fish production is life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA is a standardized method that estimates the environmental impacts of a product during the entire life cycle, or in other words, throughout the production chain. LCA links the environmental impacts along the production chain to the main output of that system, i.e. also referred to as the functional unit Functional units in LCAs of food products are, for example, kg of fat-and-protein-corrected milk, kg of grain or meat produced (de Vries and de Boer, 2010) or ton of fresh fish produced Two types of environmental impacts are distinguished in a LCA: the use of natural resources (e.g. land, fossil energy, or water) required for the production of a functional unit and the corresponding emission of pollutants (e.g. ammonia, nitrate or methane) from a given production system. Use of resources or emission of pollutants can contribute to different environmental problems (referred to as impact categories), such as fossil energy use, acidification, eutrophication of or climate change (de Vries and de Boer, 2010). For example, to assess the impact of a production system on climate change, emissions of the main greenhouse gases in food production (i.e. carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)) are summed along the chain based on their equivalence factor in terms of CO2 equivalent (CO2-eq, 100-year time horizon). Because of its capacity to include environmental impacts at every step of the production system, LCA has started to be used to investigate the environmental effects of genetic improvement in livestock Similar to economic values, environmental values represent the change in environmental impacts (i.e. climate change) after genetic improvement of one trait, while keeping the other traits constant. The purpose of the bioeconomic model developed by

Environmental impacts and mitigation potentials of CO2-based biodegradable plastic based on life cycle assessment – A case study of poly(propylene carbonate)