Analyzing the environmental sustainability of primary schools’ facades within the scope of life cycle assessment in Turkey and recommendations for improvement

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cagla Keles ◽  
Fatih Yazicioglu
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Public Buildings ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the sustainability conditions of primary schools in Turkey within the scope of the life cycle assessment (LCA). It is aimed to develop optimum alternatives to reduce the environmental impact of primary schools and reach environmental sustainability targets of the sustainable development goals in Turkey.Design/methodology/approachFrom the construction project of 103 buildings located in Istanbul, 10 case buildings with various typical plans were chosen for analysis. The results regarding their life cycle energy and carbon emission for material production, operation and maintenance stages were calculated for a lifespan of 50 years. Results were evaluated and compared within the scope of environmental sustainability. Optimum alternatives for improving the environmental sustainability and performances of selected case buildings’ facades were developed, and the life cycle energy and carbon emission for proposed conditions were calculated. The obtained results were evaluated for current and proposed conditions.FindingsResults showed that reinforced concrete material contributes the most to the life cycle-embodied energy and CO2 emission of buildings. Cooling load increases the life cycle operational energy (LCOE) and CO2 emission of buildings. Using high-performance glazing significantly reduces LCOE and CO2 emission. Recycled and fiber-based materials have significant potential for reducing life cycle-embodied energy and CO2 emission.Originality/valueThis study has been developed in response to achieving sustainable development targets on public buildings in Turkey. In this regard, external walls of primary schools were analyzed within the scope of LCA and recommendations were made to contribute to the policies and regulations requested by the Government of Turkey. This study proves that alternative and novel materials have great potential for achieving sustainable public buildings. The study answers to questions about reducing the environmental impact of primary school buildings by using LCA approach with a holistic point of view.

Hydroponic cultivation: life cycle assessment of substrate choice

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (8) ◽  
pp. 1801-1812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliana Vinci ◽  
Mattia Rapa
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hydroponic Cultivation ◽  
Hydroponic Systems ◽  
Total Impact ◽  
Rock Wool

Purpose Nowadays, hydroponic cultivation represents a widely used agricultural methodology. The purpose of this paper is to study comparatively on hydroponic substrates. This study is highlighting the best substrate to be involved in hydroponic systems, considering its costs and its sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Seven substrates were evaluated: rock wool, perlite, vermiculite, peat, coconut fibres, bark and sand. Life cycle assessment (life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) and life cycle costing (LCC)) was applied to evaluate the environmental and economic impact. Through the results of the impacts, the carbon footprint of each substrate was calculated. Findings Perlite is the most impacting substrate, as highlighted by LCIA, followed by rock wool and vermiculite. The most sustainable ones, instead, are sand and bark. Sand has the lower carbon footprint (0.0121 kg CO2 eq.); instead, bark carbon footprint results in one of the highest (1.1197 kg CO2 eq.), while in the total impact analysis this substrate seems to be highly sustainable. Also for perlite the two results are in disagreement: it has a high total impact but very low carbon footprint (0.0209 kg CO2 eq.) compared to the other substrates. From the LCC analysis it appears that peat is the most expensive substrate (€6.67/1,000 cm3), while sand is the cheaper one (€0.26/1,000 cm3). Originality/value The LCA and carbon footprint methodologies were applied to a growing agriculture practice. This study has highlighted the economic and environmental sustainability of seven substrates examined. This analysis has shown that sand can be the best substrate to be involved in hydroponic systems by considering its costs and its sustainability.

A Review of the Application of LCA for Sustainable Buildings in Asia

2013 ◽  
Vol 724-725 ◽  
pp. 1597-1601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Faiz Abd Rashid ◽  
Sumiani Yusoff ◽  
Noorsaidi Mahat
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
International Organization ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Sustainable Buildings ◽  
Iso 14040 ◽  
Operational Phase

The introduction of life cycle assessment (LCA) to the building industry is important due to its ability to systematically quantify every environmental impact involved in every process from cradle to grave. Within the last two decades, research on LCA has increased considerably covering from manufacturing of building materials and construction processes. However, the LCA application for buildings in Asia are limited and fragmented due to different research objectives, type of buildings and locations. This paper has attempted to collect and review the application of LCA in the building industry in Asia from the selected publications over the last 12 years, from 2001 to 2012. The result shows that most LCA research basic methodology is based on International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 14040 series but with variance. It is found that the operational phase consume highest energy and concrete responsible for the highest total embodied energy and environmental impact. It also suggested that building material with low initial embodied energy does not necessarily have low life cycle energy. Overall, findings from LCA studies can help to make informed decisions in terms of environmental impact and help realizing sustainable buildings in the future.

scholarly journals Assessing the Environmental Impact of the Self-propelled Bulk Carriage through LCA

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-266
Author(s):  
Miro Hegedić ◽  
Nedeljko Štefanić ◽  
Mladen Nikšić
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Maintenance Phase ◽  
The Self ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment Study ◽  
Diesel Locomotive ◽  
Railway Maintenance

Environmental sustainability of the transport sector is a highly important issue today. The European Commission has made a goal of delivering a minimum 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 2050. Part of this reduction will come from the railway sector by making the maintenance processes more environmentally friendly. This paper presents the results of the environmental assessment of the self-propelled bulk carriage (SPBC), an innovative new product aiming to decrease the environmental impact of the railway maintenance processes. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used in the study, and environmental impact is given in five impact categories based on the CML 2001 method through three main modules of the self-propelled bulk carriage life cycle: upstream, core, and downstream. The novelty of the research includes the fact that this is the first life cycle assessment study done for the bulk carriage, as well in that the authors have proposed the use of a new functional unit in the category of freight railway vehicles. The biggest environmental impact of the self-propelled bulk carriage across all five categories is in the use and maintenance phase of its life cycle and mainly due to diesel fuel use. The SPBC uses significantly less fuel than a conventional diesel locomotive.

scholarly journals A review on sustainable production of graphene and related life cycle assessment

2D Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Munuera ◽  
L. Britnell ◽  
C. Santoro ◽  
R. Cuéllar-Franca ◽  
Cinzia Casiraghi
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Harm

Abstract Advanced materials such as graphene and the family of 2-dimensional (2D) crystals are very attractive because of the myriad of applications that could be developed based on their outstanding properties. However, as soon as material development reaches enough maturity for production to be scaled up and to enter the market within products, it is crucial to place the technology in the context of possible risks to economic well-being, social equity and environmental harm. This review aims at highlighting the current state of art on sustainable development of graphene-based materials and related environmental impact assessment studies using life cycle assessment. We show that sustainable development has focused mostly on the use of waste or low cost materials as precursors. However, the findings from relevant life cycle assessment studies reveals the limits of this approach, which does not take into account that waste recycling is often very energy intensive. We provide an overview on the life cycle environmental impact assessment, with a focus of global warming potential and energy demand, carried out on different graphene productions methods for specific applications, ranging from composites to electronics. Finally, an outlook is given focussing on the comparison of the different production routes and the results from the life cycle assessment.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Environmental Sustainability of Hemp as a Building Material, through Life Cycle Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1215-1228
Author(s):  
Salvatore Emanuele Di Capua ◽  
Luisa Paolotti ◽  
Elisa Moretti ◽  
Lucia Rocchi ◽  
Antonio Boggia
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Building Material ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Ecological Design ◽  
Sustainable Procurement

Abstract Environmental issues, especially those related to the over-exploitation of natural resources, are leading towards considering alternative solutions and new approaches, such as the circular economy. Currently, some key elements of the circular economy approach are sustainable procurement of raw materials, improvement of production processes and ecological design, adoption of more sustainable distribution and consumption models, development of secondary raw material markets. This work aims to analyse the use of hemp as a building material, replacing traditional construction materials, but respecting at the same time the thermal, insulating and acoustic characteristics required in the construction of a building. The methodology used was Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which considered the hemp cultivation phase and the production phase of hemp-lime (“hempcrete”) walls. The hempcrete product was compared with two different solutions: a hemp and lime block, and a traditional perforated brick block with external insulation in polystyrene. In particular, the differences among the products in terms of embodied energy and net CO2 emissions were analysed. Results showed that the hempcrete wall had better environmental performances than the other two solutions.

scholarly journals An empirical study on life cycle assessment of double-glazed aluminium-clad timber windows

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 547-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asif M.
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Powder Coating ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to determine the environmental performance of materials and products. The purpose of this paper is to undertake the LCA of double-glazed aluminium-clad timber windows in order to determine their environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach The scope of the LCA study covers the production and the use of windows over a 30-year life span. The LCA exercise has been carried out by auditing the materials and processes involved in the making of the windows. Windows production facilities were visited to investigate the respective quantities and embodied energy of the major constituting materials, i.e. timber, aluminium, glass, infill gases and auxiliary components. The main processes involved, i.e. powder coating of aluminium cladding profiles, glazing unit production and window assembly, were also examined. SimaPro software was used to calculate the environmental impacts associated with the windows for three types of glazing infills: Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr) and Xenon (Xe). Findings Embodied energy of a standard sized (1.2 m×1.2 m) double-glazed aluminium-clad timber window is found to be 899, 1,402 and 5,400 MJ for Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr) and Xenon (Xe) infill gases, respectively. It is also found that an Argon-filled window can lose 95,130 kWh of energy resulting into over 37,000 kg of CO2 emissions. Originality/value Besides carrying value for research community, the findings of this study can help the building and construction industry adopt windows that are energy-efficient and environmentally less burdensome. It can also help the concerned legislative bodied.

scholarly journals Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Sugarcane Industry Using Life Cycle Assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-66
Author(s):  
Galuh Zuhria Kautzar ◽  
◽  
Ishardita Pambudi Tama ◽  
Yeni Sumantri ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Damage Categories ◽  
Research Show ◽  
Sugarcane Industry

The sugarcane industry is one of the industries that generated negatives impact on the environment. Therefore, it can be concluded that the sugarcane industry is not environmentally sustainable. The results of this research show that the use of electricity from bagasse cogeneration becomes the main contributor to all of damage categories. Meanwhile, the highest contribution to damage categories is human health with a total score of 59%. The results of this research are expected to reduce the environmental impact produced by PT. X so that PT. X will be more environmentally sustainable.

scholarly journals Life cycle assessment: Assessing the environmental impact in the railway maintenance

2018 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 01004
Author(s):  
Miro Hegedić ◽  
Nedeljko Štefanić ◽  
Mladen Nikšić
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Functional Unit ◽  
Transport Network ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Railway Transport ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment Methodology ◽  
Railway Maintenance

The railway sector plays an important role in the European transport sector and its environmental sustainability is a highly important issue today recognized by all the main stakeholders, including the European Commission. EU-28 railway transport network consisted of 220,000 km of railway lines in 2013. Such a big railway transport network requires maintenance. Maintenance of a railway infrastructure is a resource- and cost-demanding activity that has as well a considerable impact on the environment. This paper presents the results of the environmental assessment of an innovative new product which aims to decrease the environmental impact of the railway maintenance processes. Life cycle assessment methodology was used and results show that the biggest environmental impact, in all impact categories, is achieved in the use and maintenance phase. In the end, the normalized data of the environmental impact were presented using the standard functional unit for the freight trains: tonne for kilometre (tkm). Additionally, authors have compared two different functional units that could be used in Life cycle assessment of the self-propelled freight railway vehicles, proposing the use of the new functional unit: tonne for working hour (twh). Use of such customized functional unit is more appropriate because of the specific nature of work that selfpropelled bulk carriages have.

scholarly journals Lifecycle-oriented design of ceramic tiles in sustainable supply chains (SSCs)

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Settembre Blundo ◽  
Fernando Enrique García Muiña ◽  
Martina Pini ◽  
Lucrezia Volpi ◽  
Cristina Siligardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Life Cycle Costing ◽  
Production Cycle ◽  
Ceramic Tiles ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the production cycle of glazed porcelain stoneware, from the extraction of raw materials to the packaging of the finished product, with the aim of verifying the effects of integrating an environmental impact assessment into the decision-making process for managing the life cycle, to make it economically and ecologically sustainable, in a holistic approach along the supply-chain. Design/methodology/approach The research is performed using the life cycle assessment and life cycle costing methodologies, to identify environmental impacts and costs, that occur during extraction of raw materials, transportation, ceramic tiles production, material handling, distribution and end-of-life stages within a cradle to grave perspective. Findings Through the use of a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact assessment and related externalities, three possible strategic options to improve the environmental performance and costs of ceramic tile production were formulated, leveraging sustainability as a competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications This exploratory research opens future lines of investigation, the first of which is to confirm the technological feasibility and market responsiveness to the three strategic solutions hypothesised thanks to the use of an innovative eco-design technique. Originality/value The research has allowed testing and validating the tools of environmental impact assessment (life cycle assessment) and economic impact assessment (life cycle costing as structured methodologies in a life cycle management framework, to help companies implement competitive strategies based on sustainability.

Sustainability at a Brazilian university: developing environmentally sustainable practices and a life cycle assessment case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 841-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murillo Vetroni Barros ◽  
Fabio Neves Puglieri ◽  
Daniel Poletto Tesser ◽  
Oksana Kuczynski ◽  
Cassiano Moro Piekarski
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Environmental Actions ◽  
Disposable Plastic ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Some universities have a commitment to both academic education and sustainable development, and the sustainable development goals can support several sustainable actions that universities may take as principles and attitudes. From this perspective, the purpose of this study is to present environmentally sustainable practices at a federal university in Brazil and to analyze and discuss the potential environmental impacts associated with an environmentally sustainable practice implemented using life cycle assessment (LCA) and its benefits for the university’s decision-makers. Design/methodology/approach To accomplish that, the study combines a description of environmentally sustainable practices at the 13 campuses of the Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR) in terms of education, water and electricity consumption, waste management and emissions. As a result of this analysis, one campus identified that a high volume of disposable plastic cups were being disposed of, for which the use of reusable plastic cups was introduced. In addition, an LCA study (ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006) quantified the benefits of the introduction of said reusable plastic cups. Findings The results show that the university is working on environmentally sustainable initiatives and policies to become greener. At the same time, using a systematic LCA made it possible to measure that replacing disposable plastic cups for reusable ones reduced waste generation but increased water consumption on the campus. Faced with this, a sensitization was carried out to reduce water consumption. Finally, the current study provides lessons on the environmental performance to universities interested in sustainable practices, fostering perspectives for a better world. The findings of this study encourage organizations to accomplish environmental actions toward greener universities. The study shows that institutions need to be reflective and analytical about how even “greening” measures have impacts, which can be mitigated if necessary. Practical implications The sustainable practical implications were reported, and an LCA was conducted to assess potential environmental impacts of reusable plastic cups. It was identified that raw material production is the phase that generates most environmental impacts during the life cycle of the product, along with the consumer use phase, due to the quantity of water used to wash the reusable cups. In addition, the practical contributions of this study are to provide insights to institutions that aim to use environmental actions, i.e. suggestions of sustainable paths toward a greener university. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to investigate and discuss sustainable practices at UTFPR/Brazil. The study assessed one of the practices using a scientific technique (LCA) to assess the impacts of reusable plastic cups distributed to the students of one of the 13 campuses. Although there are other studies on LCA in the literature, the value of this study lies in expanding what has already been experienced/found on the use of LCA to assess environmental practices in university campuses.

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