Life-Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Foundation Systems of Buildings

Abstract

According to laws in force, the construction process is required to be as efficient as possible in terms of energy. The reason is that the building sector is growing and more and more energy is needed. Buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the member states of the European Union. Sustainable foundation systems of buildings are not only energy efficient but also environmentally friendly. According to the research project Heartland Green Sheets, the recommended criteria for evaluating sustainable buildings materials are low embodied energy, recyclable, use renewable resources, locally or regionally produced, energy efficient, low environmental impact, durable, minimize waste, positive social impact and affordable. This study focuses on selecting the most sustainable foundation system based on life-cycle assessment (LCA) and sustainability assessment of alternate shallow foundation systems. The multi-criteria analysis of the most used and modern foundation systems with sustainable materials in term of life cycle assessment is presented within the paper. Sustainability assessment of alternate shallow foundations is performed based on three pillars of the sustainability (environmental, economic, and social). The variants are assessed in terms of labor, time and financial demands, energy and environmental performance.