Carbon Emission Analysis of Modular Construction (Case Study: Mobox 3x6)

Abstract

Modular construction is growing in the construction industry, especially in improving efficiency and reducing environmental impacts. This study aims to analyze the carbon emissions generated from the phase of Mobox 3x6 modular construction using the process-based Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method and using the help of OpenLCA software. This study covers five main stages in the production life cycle, namely material collection, material transportation to the factory, module fabrication, module transportation to the project site, and installation and assembly. The results of the carbon emission analysis showed that the total carbon emissions generated during the construction phase of Mobox 3x6 reached 1,087.85 kgCO2. From the five stages, material sourcing was the largest contributor (95.5% of total emissions), followed by fabrication (2.8%) and material transportation (1.2%). Moreover, the environmental impact analysis in OpenLCA shows that all enviromental impact categories are significantly affected by the energy consumption and materials used during construction. This research provides important insights for the construction industry in reducing carbon emissions by considering material selection, supply chain optimization, and efficiency in the production process.