LCA-Based Comparison of the Environmental Impact of Different Structural Systems

Abstract

Construction is one of the most impactful industrial sector because of the high consequences it generates on the society, the environment and the economy. The study presented herein aims to define a methodological framework that can be used for construction community stakeholders in order to conduct environmental sustainability comparisons among building systems at the design stage. An application of the methodology is performed by comparing structures having different building materials. Three alternative material options have been investigated: RC, steel, and wood. Each option has been designed to fulfill predefined structural, functional, and architectural requirements. Later, the environmental impacts of the structures have been assessed according to the four steps of the life-cycle assessment procedure (ISO 14040) and considering the four phases of a building life: extraction and processing of raw materials; construction; operation; end of life. LCA study is conducted for the three alternative structures with the help of SimaPro software, using both IMPACT2002+ and EPD2008 methodologies to quantify environmental impacts.