Abstract
In recent years, much research has been conducted internationally to quantitatively evaluate the environmental impact of buildings in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address associated environmental problems. With this in mind, the Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design (G-SEED) in South Korea was revised in 2016. However, the various possible evaluation methods make it difficult to conduct building life cycle assessment. Moreover, compared to research on residential buildings, life cycle assessment research on non-residential buildings is scarce. Therefore, this study analyzes primary building materials for life cycle assessment of current non-residential buildings to support Korean G-SEED requirements. Design documents for various non-residential buildings are obtained, and the types and numbers of materials used in production are determined. Next, the primary building materials contributing high cumulative weight based on the ISO14040 series of standards are analyzed. We then review the most commonly-used building materials while considering non-residential building types and structures. In addition, construction material reliability is evaluated using the environmental impact unit value. With our results, by suggesting the primary building materials in non-residential buildings, efficient life cycle assessment of non-residential buildings is possible in terms of time and cost.
Highlights
In recent years, the number of environmental incidents has increased globally
According to the “Basic Plans in Response To Climate Change” document published in South Korea in 2016, when interest in environmental problems caused by buildings was escalating, the target reduction in emissions for the construction sector was set to 18.1% of business as usual (BAU) values
To derive a list of the ten primary building materials required by the streamlined life cycle assessment (LCA) method stipulated in Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design (G-SEED), the primary building materials for 16 non-residential buildings were investigated by applying the 95% cut-off criterion to the input materials
Summary
Many countries have adopted the Paris Agreement (COP21, 2015), which specifies targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and each signatory country is introducing various policies and developing advanced technologies to comply with the agreement [1,2]. According to the “Basic Plans in Response To Climate Change” document published in South Korea in 2016, when interest in environmental problems caused by buildings was escalating, the target reduction in emissions for the construction sector was set to 18.1% (approximately 56.4 million tons) of business as usual (BAU) values. The construction sector is the second-highest emitter of greenhouse gas among the industrial sectors. To meet the aforementioned target, various policies have been implemented, including the Green Building Support Law and the Basic Plans for Green Buildings. Governments in the United Kingdom (U.K.), the United States (U.S.), Germany and Switzerland, which are leading
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