scholarly journals Effect of Materials in Life Cycle Energy Assessment: A Case Study of a Single Storey Building

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-84
Author(s):  
C. Sivapragasam . ◽  
PL. Meyyappan . ◽  
Rithu Christy . ◽  
V. Akila Reddy ◽  
S. Karthiga
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Lower Energy ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Energy Assessment ◽  
Building Components ◽  
Operational Phase ◽  
Construction Operation ◽  
Storey Building

Life Cycle Energy Assessment (LCEA) of buildings is commonly being adopted as a tool to evaluate the environmental effects of a building throughout its entire life cycle to enhance the building sustainability. The different phases in the LCEA of a building involve the extraction & manufacturing of building materials, construction, operation, maintenance and demolishing. It measures all inputs to a building and all outputs (emissions) released to the environment in all the phases. This study particularly focuses on the ‘operational’ phase of the LCEA and recommends what materials changes in some of the building components under Indian conditions can lead to lower energy consumption. The case study considered is a single storey building with a plan dimension of 10m x 7m. eQuest software is used for energy simulation. An attempt is also made to study the influence of environmental impacts of the building key assembly components such as roofs and infill walls etc. It is strongly recommended that all structural designs should consider LCEA before it is approved.

scholarly journals Influence of Materials in Life Cycle Energy Assessment of a Six Storey Building

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1S3) ◽  
pp. 475-478
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Simulation Tool ◽  
Energy Assessment ◽  
Building Component ◽  
Operational Phase ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Storey Building

Life Cycle Energy Assessment (LCEA) is one of the evaluating tools for assessing environmental impact of various types of materials used in the buildings components. The LCEA is based on reduction of total amount of energy consumed during the life cycle of building. Operational phase has been taken and the energy consumed for the phase has been evaluated in this study for three cases with respect to change in materials. This mainly focuses on the change in the energy consumption due to the usage of RCC and Wood materials in various building component such as roofs and infill walls etc. under Indian conditions. A six storey building with a plan dimension of 48m x 24m is considered. The ‘eQuest’ is the quick energy simulation tool which is widely used to calculate the whole building’s energy performance. This tool is used to estimate the energy consumption in month wise on various aspects.

scholarly journals A Comprehensive Framework for Standardising System Boundary Definition in Life Cycle Energy Assessments

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 230
Author(s):  
Hossein Omrany ◽  
Veronica Soebarto ◽  
Jian Zuo ◽  
Ruidong Chang
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Building Energy Efficiency ◽  
System Boundary ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Energy Assessment ◽  
Boundary Definition ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

This paper aims to propose a comprehensive framework for a clear description of system boundary conditions in life cycle energy assessment (LCEA) analysis in order to promote the incorporation of embodied energy impacts into building energy-efficiency regulations (BEERs). The proposed framework was developed based on an extensive review of 66 studies representing 243 case studies in over 15 countries. The framework consists of six distinctive dimensions, i.e., temporal, physical, methodological, hypothetical, spatial, and functional. These dimensions encapsulate 15 components collectively. The proposed framework possesses two key characteristics; first, its application facilitates defining the conditions of a system boundary within a transparent context. This consequently leads to increasing reliability of obtained LCEA results for decision-making purposes since any particular conditions (e.g., truncation or assumption) considered in establishing the boundaries of a system under study can be revealed. Second, the use of a framework can also provide a meaningful basis for cross comparing cases within a global context. This characteristic can further result in identifying best practices for the design of buildings with low life cycle energy use performance. Furthermore, this paper applies the proposed framework to analyse the LCEA performance of a case study in Adelaide, Australia. Thereafter, the framework is utilised to cross compare the achieved LCEA results with a case study retrieved from literature in order to demonstrate the framework’s capacity for cross comparison. The results indicate the capability of the framework for maintaining transparency in establishing a system boundary in an LCEA analysis, as well as a standardised basis for cross comparing cases. This study also offers recommendations for policy makers in the building sector to incorporate embodied energy into BEERs.

scholarly journals Integration of Emergy Analysis with Building Information Modeling

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7990
Author(s):  
Suman Paneru ◽  
Forough Foroutan Jahromi ◽  
Mohsen Hatami ◽  
Wilfred Roudebush ◽  
Idris Jeelani
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Building Information Modeling ◽  
Energy Analysis ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Emergy Analysis ◽  
Modeling Tools ◽  
Building Information

Traditional energy analysis in Building Information Modeling (BIM) only accounts for the energy requirements of building operations during a portion of the occupancy phase of the building’s life cycle and as such is unable to quantify the true impact of buildings on the environment. Specifically, the typical energy analysis in BIM does not account for the energy associated with resource formation, recycling, and demolition. Therefore, a comprehensive method is required to analyze the true environmental impact of buildings. Emergy analysis can offer a holistic approach to account for the environmental cost of activities involved in building construction and operation in all its life cycle phases from resource formation to demolition. As such, the integration of emergy analysis with BIM can result in the development of a holistic sustainability performance tool. Therefore, this study aimed at developing a comprehensive framework for the integration of emergy analysis with existing Building Information Modeling tools. The proposed framework was validated using a case study involving a test building element of 8’ × 8’ composite wall. The case study demonstrated the successful integration of emergy analysis with Revit®2021 using the inbuilt features of Revit and external tools such as MS Excel. The framework developed in this study will help in accurately determining the environmental cost of the buildings, which will help in selecting environment-friendly building materials and systems. In addition, the integration of emergy into BIM will allow a comparison of various built environment alternatives enabling designers to make sustainable decisions during the design phase.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Environmental Assessment of Light Steel Framed Buildings with Cement-Based Walls and Floors

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10686
Author(s):  
Mona Abouhamad ◽  
Metwally Abu-Hamd
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment Methodology ◽  
Building Information Model ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Cold Formed Steel ◽  
Environmental Measures ◽  
Materials Used

The objective of this paper is to apply the life cycle assessment methodology to assess the environmental impacts of light steel framed buildings fabricated from cold formed steel (CFS) sections. The assessment covers all phases over the life span of the building from material production, construction, use, and the end of building life, in addition to loads and benefits from reuse/recycling after building disposal. The life cycle inventory and environmental impact indicators are estimated using the Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings. The input data related to the building materials used are extracted from a building information model of the building while the operating energy in the use phase is calculated using an energy simulation software. The Athena Impact Estimator calculates the following mid-point environmental measures: global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential, human health potential, ozone depletion potential, smog potential, eutrophication potential, primary and non-renewable energy (PE) consumption, and fossil fuel consumption. The LCA assessment was applied to a case study of a university building. Results of the case study related to GWP and PE were as follows. The building foundations were responsible for 29% of the embodied GWP and 20% of the embodied PE, while the CFS skeleton was responsible for 30% of the embodied GWP and 49% of the embodied PE. The production stage was responsible for 90% of the embodied GWP and embodied PE. When benefits associated with recycling/reuse were included in the analysis according to Module D of EN 15978, the embodied GWP was reduced by 15.4% while the embodied PE was reduced by 6.22%. Compared with conventional construction systems, the CFS framing systems had much lower embodied GWP and PE.

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

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.

scholarly journals Bridge Carbon Emissions and Driving Factors Based on a Life-Cycle Assessment Case Study: Cable-Stayed Bridge over Hun He River in Liaoning, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5953 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZhiWu Zhou ◽  
Julián Alcalá ◽  
Víctor Yepes
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cable Stayed Bridge ◽  
Full Life Cycle ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Bridge Structures ◽  
Development Analysis

Due to the rapid growth of the construction industry’s global environmental impact, especially the environmental impact contribution of bridge structures, it is necessary to study the detailed environmental impact of bridges at each stage of the full life cycle, which can provide optimal data support for sustainable development analysis. In this work, the environmental impact case of a three-tower cable-stayed bridge was analyzed through openLCA software, and more than 23,680 groups of data were analyzed using Markov chain and other research methods. It was concluded that the cable-stayed bridge contributed the most to the global warming potential value, which was mainly concentrated in the operation and maintenance phases. The conclusion shows that controlling the exhaust pollution of passing vehicles and improving the durability of building materials were the key to reducing carbon contribution and are also important directions for future research.

Cradle to site Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of natural vs conventional building materials: A case study on cob earthen material

2019 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 106150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lola Ben-Alon ◽  
Vivian Loftness ◽  
Kent A. Harries ◽  
Gwen DiPietro ◽  
Erica Cochran Hameen
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Building Materials

scholarly journals Integrating BIM-Based LCA and Building Sustainability Assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7468
Author(s):  
José Pedro Carvalho ◽  
Ismael Alecrim ◽  
Luís Bragança ◽  
Ricardo Mateus
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Data Storage ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Sustainability Criteria ◽  
Sustainability Analysis ◽  
Life Cycle Stages ◽  
Building Information

With the increasing concerns about building environmental impacts, building information modelling (BIM) has been used to perform different kinds of sustainability analysis. Among the most popular are the life cycle assessment (LCA) and building sustainability assessment (BSA). However, the integration of BIM-based LCA in BSA methods has not been adequately explored yet. This study addresses the relation between LCA and BSA within the BIM context for the Portuguese context. By performing an LCA for a Portuguese case study, a set of sustainability criteria from SBTool were simultaneous assessed during the process. The possibility of integrating BIM-based LCA into BSA methods can include more life cycle stages in the sustainability assessment and allow for normalising and producing more comparable results. BIM automates and connects different stages of the design process and provides information for multi-disciplinary data storage. However, there are still some constraints, such as different BSA/LCA databases and the necessity to manually introduce the embodied life cycle impacts of building materials. The scope of the BSA analysis can be expanded by integrating a complete LCA and be fostered by the support of BIM, effectively improving building sustainability according to local standards.

scholarly journals Optimization of Building Components with Sustainability Aspects in BIM Environment

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Khanzadi ◽  
Ali Kaveh ◽  
Mohammad Rastegar Moghaddam ◽  
Seyyed Mohammad Pourbagheri
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Optimal Combination ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Procurement Cost ◽  
Building Components ◽  
Selection Of

In recent decades, the variety of building materials has grown a great deal causing the selection of suitable materials from a wide range of candidates to be complex and difficult. One of the main criteria to be considered in this area, besides reducing procurement cost, is paying attention to various aspects affecting the dimensions of sustainable development, such as increasing energy saving, applying recyclable materials and localization.This paper proposes a framework in the BIM environment - as one of the successful approaches in the AEC industry - which allows the project stakeholders to choose the most desired and optimal combination for their building components with least human interference in the selection process makes systematic choices. In order to achieve the purposes embedded in the framework phases, several methods such as ENSCBO, DEA and VIKOR have been utilized in order to evaluate and depict the selection process, this is implemented as a Revit plugin and eventually applied to a case study.

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