Week 12 - Materials

3.1. The process

LCA is a process that can be implemented to select the building materials. assemblies, systems and strategies which have the least impact on the environment.  LCA can provide a method for understanding and quantifying both the financial and environmental costs associated with building.  When used in the early stages of building, LCA is an effective way to reduce design and construction costs as well as provide a sustainable solution.

The LCA of building and building materials considers whole building effects such as the overall environmental impact of heating, insulation, and ventilation, flooring, painting and finishing materials.  The following types of questions may be addressed in a LCA:

• What can we do to decrease energy use
• Which window type will help most with energy conservation
• How many times will this window be replaced over the lifetime of a building ?
• Which materials are less toxic?
• How will these materials be manufactured and disposed of ?
• Does it make sense to design the building for deconstruction when its life is over ?

The following diagram shows the life-cycle factors of product manufacture (adapted from Keeler and Burke, 2009).

"LCA includes the complete life cycle of the product, process or activity, i.e the extraction and processing of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation and distribution, use, maintenance, recycling, reuse and final disposal" Setac, 1993.