Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Earth Construction: A Systematic Literature Review Considering Five Construction Techniques

Abstract

In the past decade, there has been an increase in the environmental performance assessment in earth construction through the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. A Systematic Literature Review verified LCA methodology trends of five earth construction techniques from 2016 to April 2022, resulting in 27 studies. The results have been analyzed through qualitative thematic analysis, considering LCA methodology. Considering embodied carbon (GWP) and embodied energy, transportation and binder content were the main factors that influenced environmental performance. Hence, earth-based constructions exhibit better results in different impact categories than conventional materials. Environmental guidelines and technical features that were presented in the LCA studies are discussed for Adobe, Cob, Rammed Earth (RE), Compressed Earth Block (CEB), and Light Straw Clay (LSC). This study presents environmental benchmarks at the unit, wall, and building scales aiming to encourage LCA methodology applied to earth construction techniques and fostering the discussion of earth construction sustainability.