Abstract
The construction industry, being the backbone of the European economy, has played a significant influential role in the development of the energy strategy of Europe and is also anticipated to be an important contributor in its successful implementation. Holistic sustainability assessment tools that are able to evaluate and optimise the environmental performance of construction materials and buildings are considered a key for the development of advanced building designs and use of sustainable building materials and elements and green energy- efficient systems that will raise high the sustainability level of the European built environment. The aim of this work is to present the current legislation addressing the construction industry, as well as the state-of-the- art Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools that are used for the sustainability assessment and optimisation of construction materials and buildings. In view of that, the standardised LCA methodology, and the approach of EcoHestia, a comphrehensive building sustainability assessment tool, are discussed. Through the employment of EcoHestia, the environmental impact of a case study building is defined, also providing a detailed breakdown of the contribution of each construction material in the overall environmental performance of the building. The analysis of the results has not only determined on the construction materials of the building that are most harmful to the natural resources and the environment, but also showcased the effectiveness and added value of utilizing this approach in moving forward towards a more sustainable green building sector.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.16.3.16172
Highlights
Aluminium has the highest contribution in the ODP category, 88% of the total in particular, arising mainly from the alumina processing phase
Steel used for reinforcement, on the other hand is indicating a strong weight (10%) for the abiotic depletion of fossils
The existing energy policies and legislation are calling the construction industry for advanced building designs, use of sustainable building materials, green technologies and energy-efficient systems, and increased reuse and recycling rates of waste for improved energy efficiency and reduced energy consumption. The realization of these key goals is facilitated through the employment of holistic sustainability assessment tools that are able to evaluate and optimise the environmental performance of construction materials and buildings
Summary
The collaboration between the construction industry and the relevant research community has led to the development of state-of-the-art sustainability assessment tools that are able to evaluate the life cycle environmental impact of building materials and buildings. The Athena Sustainable Materials Institute has developed two LCA tools; the Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings and the Athena EcoCalculator for Assemblies, where the latter allows for a more detailed and accurate assessment of the buildings’ environmental impact Their databases provide cradle-to-grave information for building materials and products, transportation, construction, as well as demolition processes (Athena Sustainable Materials Institute, 2016). There is the necessity for the introduction of a common framework for implementing LCA studies on assessing the sustainability of building materials, but at the same time in-depth development and understanding of specific country and local data is needed on the subject (World Green Building Council, 2013; Kylili and Fokaides; 2016). The final Interpretation of the Results phase engages with the reporting of the findings and recommendations in relation to the initial objectives of the LCA study
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