An Environmental Impact of a Wooden and Brick House by the LCA Method

Abstract

The main objective of this paper thesis is to determine the environmental impact of two houses made of two alternative materials - a wooden and a brick house - using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). By comparing the material composition of their design to determine the environmental impacts of global warming, human health, consumption of resources and ecosystem quality. An overall comparison showed that the materials for the construction of a wooden house have less negative impact on the environment than materials for the construction of a brick house. Using the GWP method, results show that the materials for the construction of a brick house leave twice the carbon footprint in the environment than materials for a wooden house. This resultant state is mainly due to the use of natural materials in the wooden house (wood, fibre insulation), unlike the materials used in the brick house (ceramic masonry, insulation from stone wool) and so on.