Life cycle design of building elements: Selection criteria and case study application

Abstract

In the last years there has been a multiplication of the International and European political interventions addressed to the diffusion of environmental sustainability in the building sector. In this area the life cycle design of technical elements assumed particular relevance. The materials and construction techniques used, like their durability in the use phase and their disposal strategies, tend to influence the environmental behaviour of a building during its whole life cycle. It is worth recalling the energy consumption connected with the extraction, production and assembly of the materials (initial embodied energy) and with maintenance, replacement, and dismantling activities (lifecycle-embodied energy). At the present time the rules focusing on the environmental certification of technical elements allow one to meet these objectives only in part. The study that will be presented, based on eco-design and Life Cycle Assessment criteria, uses this knowledge to explain research work focused on a comparative evaluation of some technical elements, and analyzes different end of life scenarios, in order to further understanding and improve their environmental impact. © 2010 WIT Press.