Improved environmental impact in the architecture industry: LCA analysis of an alternative masonry element

The environmental performance of a building used for living or working depends to a large extent on its design and structure, but the total impact has additional influencing factors as well. The role of masonry elements is especially important when taking the entire life cycle of a building into con...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Renewable energy 2020-03, Vol.147, p.1718-1727
Main Authors: Szamosi, Zoltán, Bodnár, István, Szepesi, Gábor L., Rosas-Casals, Martí, Berényi, László
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternative masonry element
Aspectes ambientals
Building materials
Cicle de vida del producte
Edificació
Environmental aspects
Environmental impact
Global warming potential
Impacte ambiental
LCA
Materials de construcció
Product life cycle
Sustainable production
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The environmental performance of a building used for living or working depends to a large extent on its design and structure, but the total impact has additional influencing factors as well. The role of masonry elements is especially important when taking the entire life cycle of a building into consideration. This paper aims to analyze the environmental impacts of producing and using an alternative masonry element (AME) which is composed of natural cellulose and biodegradable three-component glue. The direct goal is to compare the environmental impacts of the alternative masonry elements and traditional ones. The calculations model the total life cycle of the elements, including the collection of raw materials and the post-use treatment. Calculations are supported by GaBi Professional software. The study also covers alternative plant installation possibilities in different countries which employ different energy-mixes to cover the energy used for production. Results of the study show that remarkably saving can be achieved when using the new alternative masonry element. •Composition of an alternative masonry element (AME) by using natural cellulose.•LCA analysis is conducted by GaBi Professional of the production of AME.•Environmental impact analysis is assessed by CML categories.•Environmental benefits of the AME compared to traditional ones.
ISSN:0960-1481
1879-0682
DOI:10.1016/j.renene.2019.09.118