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

Abstract

The implementation of a circular economy in the construction sector is intended to reduce the environmental impact as well as the construction and demolition (C&D) waste generated. In most life cycle assessment (LCA) studies, the end-of-life (EoL) stage, specifically the demolition stage, is not included because only a marginal influence on the environmental impacts of a building's life cycle is assumed. This study aims to develop a life cycle inventory (LCI) database of the building's demolition stages. By applying the methodology of scientific observation, the demolition processes of five detached and semi-detached buildings located in the south of Germany were attended to record case study specific inventory data, which were then structured in a database. To evaluate the environmental impacts of the demolition stage, a life cycle impact assessment and hotspot analysis were conducted. The main influencing factors of the demolition stage are excavator operation, direct freshwater consumption and related wastewater treatment, as well as container utilization for C&D waste collection and sorting. With a share of 91–95%, excavator operation contributes the most to the impact categories climate change potential, fossil depletion, and freshwater eutrophication. The structure of the database and its user interface allow integration of an LCA calculation into the early design stage and the use of the data for renovation work. The compiled LCI data for the demolition process enables the integration of the demolition stage into the LCAs of a building and allows the calculation of project-specific environmental impacts. Besides, the LCI data is important for conducting environmental product declarations, since the EoL stage is mandatory according to the international standard DIN EN 15804.