Carbon Footprint Assessment in the Life-Cycle Design of Concrete Structures in the Tropics: A Case Study of Residential Buildings in Malaysia

With the exponential growth in development of cities and increasing demand for construction, which is one of the factors in environmental degradation, the need for CO2 emissions control is essential. In order to balance carbon emissions along the life-cycle of concrete structures; in this paper, we have analysed the carbon emissions and assessed the carbon footprint of selected concrete structures in a tropical city. For this purpose, the carbon footprint has been evaluated using Life-Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) approach at different stages concrete structures’ life-cycle, which are production, construction, operation, and demolition stages, where the CO2 footprint of two residential buildings in Malaysia have been analysed as case studies. The findings indicated that the energy consumption, and the production phase in the life-cycle of a concrete structure are the main contributors of CO2 emission. In addition, detailed analysis of the carbon cycle in structures and their interaction with other components involved in the regional eco-system can lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emission, and thus to the improvement in reducing environmental deterioration and its consequences. Moreover, optimised design and customisation to the constituents of concrete, as well as improving citizens’ consumption agenda can significantly reduce the carbon emission of concrete structures.

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Sustainable Reuse of Military Facilities with a Carbon Inventory: Kinmen, Taiwan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11061810 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1810

Author(s):

Hua-Yueh Liu

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Carbon Emissions ◽

Building Materials ◽

Cell System ◽

Military Government ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Water Shortages ◽

Military Facilities ◽

Construction Operation

Military government was lifted from Kinmen in 1992. The opening-up of cross-strait relations transformed the island into a tourist destination. This transformation led to electricity and water shortages in Kinmen. With the reduction in the number of troops, military facilities fell into disuse and are now being released for local government use. The aim of this project was to monitor the carbon footprint of a reused military facility during renovation of the facility. The LCBA-Neuma system, a local carbon survey software developed by the Low Carbon Building Alliance (LCBA) and National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, was used in this project. The system analyzes the carbon footprint of the various phases of the building life cycle (LC) during renovation and carbon compensation strategies were employed to achieve the low carbon target. This project has pioneered the transformation of a disused military facility using this approach. The carbon footprint of energy uses during post-construction operation (CFeu) accounted for the majority of carbon emissions among all stages, at 1,088,632.19 kgCO2e/60y, while the carbon footprint of the new building materials (CFm) was the second highest, at 214,983.66 kgCO2e/60y. Installation of a solar cell system of 25.2 kWp on the rooftop as a carbon offset measure compensated for an estimated 66.1% of the total life-cycle carbon emissions. The findings of this study show that the process of reusing old military facilities can achieve the ultimate goal of zero carbon construction and sustainable development.

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Life-Cycle Assessment of Carbon Footprint of Bike-Share and Bus Systems in Campus Transit

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13010158 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 158

Author(s):

Sishen Wang ◽

Hao Wang ◽

Pengyu Xie ◽

Xiaodan Chen

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Co2 Emission ◽

Raw Material ◽

Transit System ◽

Two Systems ◽

Bus System ◽

Bike Share

Low-carbon transport system is desired for sustainable cities. The study aims to compare carbon footprint of two transportation modes in campus transit, bus and bike-share systems, using life-cycle assessment (LCA). A case study was conducted for the four-campus (College Ave, Cook/Douglass, Busch, Livingston) transit system at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ). The life-cycle of two systems were disaggregated into four stages, namely, raw material acquisition and manufacture, transportation, operation and maintenance, and end-of-life. Three uncertain factors—fossil fuel type, number of bikes provided, and bus ridership—were set as variables for sensitivity analysis. Normalization method was used in two impact categories to analyze and compare environmental impacts. The results show that the majority of CO2 emission and energy consumption comes from the raw material stage (extraction and upstream production) of the bike-share system and the operation stage of the campus bus system. The CO2 emission and energy consumption of the current campus bus system are 46 and 13 times of that of the proposed bike-share system, respectively. Three uncertain factors can influence the results: (1) biodiesel can significantly reduce CO2 emission and energy consumption of the current campus bus system; (2) the increased number of bikes increases CO2 emission of the bike-share system; (3) the increase of bus ridership may result in similar impact between two systems. Finally, an alternative hybrid transit system is proposed that uses campus buses to connect four campuses and creates a bike-share system to satisfy travel demands within each campus. The hybrid system reaches the most environmentally friendly state when 70% passenger-miles provided by campus bus and 30% by bike-share system. Further research is needed to consider the uncertainty of biking behavior and travel choice in LCA. Applicable recommendations include increasing ridership of campus buses and building a bike-share in campus to support the current campus bus system. Other strategies such as increasing parking fees and improving biking environment can also be implemented to reduce automobile usage and encourage biking behavior.

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Sustainability implications of service life on residential buildings – An application of life cycle sustainability assessment framework

Environmental and Sustainability Indicators ◽

10.1016/j.indic.2021.100109 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 100109

Author(s):

Shahana Y. Janjua ◽

Prabir K. Sarker ◽

Wahidul K. Biswas

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Service Life ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment ◽

Assessment Framework

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ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE CYCLE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OBJECT

Construction Materials and Products ◽

10.34031/2618-7183-2019-2-2-17-22 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 17-22

Author(s):

A. Lapina ◽

A. Ponomarenko ◽

K. Shencova ◽

A. Kotesova

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Russian Federation ◽

Load Bearing ◽

Life Cycle Design ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

Hydrogeological Studies ◽

Construction Operation ◽

Design Construction ◽

Insufficient Number

the article deals with the main causes of accidents of buildings and structures that occurred due to errors made at different stages of their life cycle (design, construction, operation). A brief analysis of the accidents that occurred from 2010 to 2017 in the Russian Federation is presented. The study of the causes of accidents makes it possible to understand better the laws of structures, buildings and structures, to identify errors that lead to emergencies. Such errors include: low quality of construction and installation works, deviation from the project in the construction of buildings and structures, the use of materials of inadequate quality, overload of load-bearing structures during operation. Also, the causes of accidents include defective engineering-geological and hydrogeological studies of the grounds. Analysis of accidents showed that the last few years there is no tendency to reduce the number of accidents of buildings and structures, which indicates an insufficient number of measures to prevent them. In the article the authors consider the examples of accidents in construction, which occurred due to the main reasons, and ways to prevent accidents in the future.

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Life-Cycle Assessment and Monetary Measurements for the Carbon Footprint Reduction of Public Buildings

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12083460 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 3460 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Maria Rosa Trovato ◽

Francesco Nocera ◽

Salvatore Giuffrida

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Co2 Emission ◽

Temperate Climate ◽

Residual Value ◽

Public Buildings ◽

Energy Retrofit ◽

Low Co2 ◽

Study Results

Energy consumption in public buildings increased drastically over the last decade. Significant policy actions towards the promotion of energy efficiency in the building sector have been developed involving sustainable low-CO2-emission technologies. This paper presents the results of an economic–environmental valuation of a standard energy retrofit project for a public building in a Mediterranean area, integrating a life-cycle assessment (LCA) into the traditional economic–financial evaluation pattern. The study results show that simple retrofit of sustainable low-CO2-emission strategies such as wooden double-glazed windows, organic external wall insulation systems, and green roofs can reduce energy needs for heating and cooling by 58.5% and 33.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the implementation of an LCA highlights that the use of sustainable materials reduces the building’s carbon footprint index by 54.1% after retrofit compared to standard materials, thus providing an additional increase in the socio-environmental–economic–financial results of 18%. Some proposals are made about the accounting of the replacement costs and the residual value as requested in the logic of life-cycle cost (that is the economic extension of the LCA), namely concerning the method to take into account the replacement costs and the residual value. The economic calculation highlights the fundamental role played by tax benefits supporting the building energy retrofit, also in temperate climate zones, thus allowing the creation of environmental benefits in addition to remarkable cost savings.

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Life-Cycle Sustainability Assessment in the Design of Concrete Structures in the Tropics: A Fundamental Analysis

Journal of Design and Built Environment ◽

10.22452/jdbe.vol20no3.3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 43-51

Author(s):

Farnaz Jahandideh ◽

Sudharshan N. Raman ◽

Maslina Jamil ◽

R. Prakash

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Environmental Impacts ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Concrete Structures ◽

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment ◽

Functional Quality ◽

Comprehensive Framework ◽

The Tropics ◽

The Impact ◽

Geographical Context

Due to the essential nature and increased appreciation to the issue of sustainability in recent decades, the evaluation and assessment of environmental impacts of concrete structures have been considered extensively by the scientific and construction fraternity. To enhance the resilience in the design of concrete structures in the tropics, it is essential to understand and acknowledge the impact of the geographical context, taking into account the widespread socio-economic circumstances in the tropics. Moreover, since all environmental impacts of a concrete structures through its life-cycle use are predictable through its Life-Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), it is therefore necessary to investigate this framework comprehensively. This research was undertaken to study and assess the existing methods in LCSA, as well as to assess the steps and materials that can significantly affect the environment during the whole life-span of concrete structures, and also to qualitatively understand the interaction among the geographic sense and sustainability in the tropics, considering the case of Malaysia. This study proposes a more comprehensive framework for LCSA in the design of concrete structures. The findings suggest that according to LCSA analysis, the environmental effects of concrete structures with almost the same functional quality can be different from each other.

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A Comparative Study on the Life Cycle Assessment of New Zealand Residential Buildings

Buildings ◽

10.3390/buildings12010050 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 50

Author(s):

Aflah Alamsah Dani ◽

Krishanu Roy ◽

Rehan Masood ◽

Zhiyuan Fang ◽

James B. P. Lim

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

New Zealand ◽

Carbon Emissions ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Dominant Form ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Cradle To Cradle ◽

The Difference

In New Zealand, housing is typically low density, with light timber framing being the dominant form of construction with more than 90% of the market. From 2020, as a result of the global pandemic, there was a shortage of timber in New Zealand, resulting in increased popularity for light steel framing, the main alternative to timber for housing. At the same time, the New Zealand government is committed to sustainability practises through legislation and frameworks, such as the reduction of whole-of-life carbon emissions for the building industry. New Zealand recently announced reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions by 50% within 2030. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique for assessing the environmental aspects associated with a product over its life cycle. Despite the popularity of LCA in the construction industry of New Zealand, prior research results seem varied. There is no unified NZ context database to perform an LCA for buildings. Therefore, in this paper, a comprehensive study using LCA was conducted to quantify and compare the quantity of carbon emissions from two commonly designed houses in the Auckland region, one built from light timber and the other from light steel, both designed for a lifespan of 90 years. The cradle-to-cradle system boundary was used for the LCA. From the results of this study, it was found that the light steel house had 12.3% more carbon in total (including embodied and operational carbons) when compared to the light timber house, of which the manufacturing of two houses had a difference of 50.4% in terms of carbon emissions. However, when the end-of-life (EOL) analysis was included, it was found that the extra carbon could be offset due to the steel’s recyclability, reducing the amount of embodied carbon in the manufacturing process. Therefore, there was no significant difference in carbon emissions between the light steel and the light timber building, with the difference being only 12.3%.

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What is the carbon footprint of primary care practices? A retrospective life-cycle analysis in Switzerland

Environmental Health ◽

10.1186/s12940-021-00814-y ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

John Nicolet ◽

Yolanda Mueller ◽

Paola Paruta ◽

Julien Boucher ◽

Nicolas Senn

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Carbon Emissions ◽

Life Cycle Analysis ◽

Care Practice ◽

Worst Case ◽

Patient Transport ◽

Care Practices ◽

Primary Care Practices

Abstract Background The medical field causes significant environmental impact. Reduction of the primary care practice carbon footprint could contribute to decreasing global carbon emissions. This study aims to quantify the average carbon footprint of a primary care consultation, describe differences between primary care practices (best, worst and average performing) in western Switzerland and identify opportunities for mitigation. Methods We conducted a retrospective carbon footprint analysis of ten private practices over the year 2018. We used life-cycle analysis to estimate carbon emissions of each sector, from manufacture to disposal, expressing results as CO2 equivalents per average consultation and practice. We then modelled an average and theoretical best- case and worst-case practices. Collected data included invoices, medical and furniture inventories, heating and power supply, staff and patient transport, laboratory analyses (in/out-house) waste quantities and management costs. Results An average medical consultation generated 4.8 kg of CO2eq and overall, an average practice produced 30 tons of CO2eq per year, with 45.7% for staff and patient transport and 29.8% for heating. Medical consumables produced 5.5% of CO2eq emissions, while in-house laboratory and X-rays contributed less than 1% each. Emergency analyses requiring courier transport caused 5.8% of all emissions. Support activities generated 82.6% of the total CO2eq. Simulation of best- and worst-case scenarios resulted in a ten-fold variation in CO2eq emissions. Conclusion Optimizing structural and organisational aspects of practice work could have a major impact on the carbon footprint of primary care practices without large-scale changes in medical activities.

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