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Eco-efficient Construction and Building Materials

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Eco-Labelling and Case Studies

1st Edition - December 18, 2013

Authors: F. Pacheco-Torgal, Luisa F. Cabeza, Joao Labrincha, Aldo Giuntini de Magalhaes

Hardback ISBN:

9 7 8 - 0 - 8 5 7 0 9 - 7 6 7 - 5

eBook ISBN:

9 7 8 - 0 - 8 5 7 0 9 - 7 7 2 - 9

Eco-efficient Construction and Building Materials reviews ways of assessing the environmental impact of construction and building materials. Part one discusses the application of… Read more

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Eco-efficient Construction and Building Materials reviews ways of assessing the environmental impact of construction and building materials. Part one discusses the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to building materials as well as eco-labeling. Part two includes case studies showing the application of LCA methodology to different types of building material, from cement and concrete to wood and adhesives used in building. Part three includes case studies applying LCA methodology to particular structures and components.

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Woodhead Publishing Series in Civil and Structural Engineering
1: Introduction to the environmental impact of construction and building materials
- Abstract
- 1.1 Introduction
- 1.2 Environmental impact assessment
- 1.3 The European Construction Products Regulation (CPR)
- 1.4 Outline of the book
Part I: Life cycle assessment (LCA), eco-labelling and procurement
- 2: Mineral resource depletion assessment
  - Abstract
  - 2.1 Introduction
  - 2.2 Definition and classification of mineral resources
  - 2.3 Trends in mineral use and depletion
  - 2.4 Dynamic analysis of mineral resource use and depletion: the Hubbert peak model
  - 2.5 From grave to cradle: A new approach to assess and account for mineral depletion
  - 2.6 Conclusions
- 3: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of sustainable building materials: an overview
  - Abstract
  - 3.1 Introduction
  - 3.2 The environmental impact of building materials
  - 3.3 Life cycle assessment (LCA) and sustainable building materials
  - 3.4 Conclusions
- 4: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of the building sector: strengths and weaknesses
  - Abstract
  - 4.1 Introduction
  - 4.2 The overall strengths and limitations of life cycle assessment (LCA)
  - 4.3 Strengths and weaknesses within LCA methodology
  - 4.4 Conclusions
- 5: Using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to develop eco-labels for construction and building materials
  - Abstract
  - 5.1 Introduction: life cycle thinking and eco-labels
  - 5.2 Life cycle assessment (LCA)
  - 5.3 Types of eco-labels and their relation to LCA
  - 5.4 Environmental certification programmes for buildings
  - 5.5 Future trends
  - 5.6 Sources of further information and advice
- 6: The EU Ecolabel scheme and its application to construction and building materials
  - Abstract
  - 6.1 Introduction
  - 6.2 The EU Ecolabel and the European Commission policy for sustainability
  - 6.3 History and goals of the EU Ecolabel scheme
  - 6.4 EU Ecolabel establishment procedures and criteria
  - 6.5 EU Ecolabel and green public procurement (GPP)
  - 6.6 EU Ecolabel and national ecolabelling schemes
  - 6.7 EU Ecolabel for eco-efficient construction and building materials
  - 6.8 Future trends
  - 6.9 Sources of further information and advice
  - 6.11 Appendix: abbreviations
- 7: Environmental product declaration (EPD) labelling of construction and building materials
  - Abstract
  - 7.1 Introduction
  - 7.2 Regulatory framework
  - 7.3 Objectives and general principles
  - 7.4 Environmental product declaration (EPD) methodology
  - 7.5 EPD programmes around the world
  - 7.6 Product category rules (PCR) for construction and building materials
  - 7.7 Case studies: EPD for construction and building materials
  - 7.8 Conclusions
- 8: Shortcomings of eco-labelling of construction and building materials
  - Abstract
  - 8.1 Introduction
  - 8.2 Typical shortcomings of eco-labels
  - 8.3 Building materials
  - 8.4 Eco-labelling of buildings
  - 8.5 Conclusions
- 9: Green public procurement (GPP) of construction and building materials
  - Abstract
  - 9.1 Introduction
  - 9.2 Green public procurement (GPP) and sustainable public procurement (SPP) as policy instruments
  - 9.3 Policy context in the EU
  - 9.4 Policy context in selected countries
  - 9.5 The need for a paradigm shift
  - 9.6 Implementing GPP/SPP in the construction sector
  - 9.7 Key concerns for progress towards SPP
Part II: Assessing the environmental impact of construction and building materials
- 10: Assessing the environmental impact of conventional and ‘green’ cement production
  - Abstract
  - 10.1 Introduction
  - 10.2 Environmental impact of ordinary Portland cement
  - 10.3 Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
  - 10.4 Alternative binders
  - 10.5 Balancing function and environmental impact
  - 10.6 Conclusions and future trends
- 11: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of concrete made using recycled concrete or natural aggregates
  - Abstract
  - 11.1 Introduction
  - 11.2 Life cycle assessment (LCA) of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC)
  - 11.3 Influence of different phases in the production process for natural and recycled concrete
  - 11.4 Research on the use of natural and recycled aggregates in concrete
  - 11.5 Analysis of the influence of the transport phase
  - 11.6 Analysis of the influence of CO₂ uptake during the life cycle of concrete
  - 11.7 Conclusions and future trends
  - 11.8 Acknowledgement
- 12: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of building thermal insulation materials
  - Abstract
  - 12.1 Introduction
  - 12.2 Thermal insulation materials and their properties
  - 12.3 Life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis of thermal insulation materials
  - 12.4 The ecological benefits of thermal insulation of external walls of buildings
  - 12.5 The economic benefits of thermal insulation
  - 12.6 Conclusions
- 13: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of phase change materials (PCMs) used in buildings
  - Abstract
  - 13.1 Introduction to phase change materials (PCMs) and their use in buildings
  - 13.2 Investigating the use of PCMs in buildings
  - 13.3 Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology
  - 13.4 PCM impact and selection
  - 13.5 LCA of buildings including PCMs: case studies
  - 13.6 Improvement in PCM use
  - 13.7 Problems in undertaking an LCA of buildings including PCMs
- 14: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of wood-based building materials
  - Abstract
  - 14.1 Introduction
  - 14.2 Forestry and wood production
  - 14.3 Wood product manufacture
  - 14.4 Building with wood materials
  - 14.5 Integrated energy and material flows
  - 14.6 Wood products and climate change
  - 14.7 Wood building materials: past and future
  - 14.8 Sources of further information
  - 14.9 Acknowledgement
- 15: The environmental impact of adhesives
  - Abstract
  - 15.1 Introduction: growth in the usage of adhesives
  - 15.2 Environmental implications of the growth in adhesive use
  - 15.3 Adhesives, adhesion and the environment
  - 15.4 Reduction of environmental impact
  - 15.5 A technical ‘fix’ for the environmental crisis
  - 15.6 Energy demand and supply
  - 15.7 The stationary state: limits to growth
  - 15.8 Conclusions and future trends
  - 15.9 Acknowledgement
- 16: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of road pavement materials
  - Abstract
  - 16.1 Introduction
  - 16.2 Life cycle assessment (LCA) for roads
  - 16.3 LCA for motorway construction
  - 16.4 LCA for motorway use and maintenance
  - 16.5 LCA for the demolition/deconstruction of motorways
  - 16.6 Conclusions and future trends
  - 16.7 Acknowledgements
  - 16.9 Appendix: abbreviations
Part III: Assessing the environmental impact of particular types of structure
- 17: Comparing the environmental impact of reinforced concrete and wooden structures
  - Abstract
  - 17.1 Introduction
  - 17.2 Environmental strengths and weaknesses of using wood and concrete in construction
  - 17.3 Life cycle assessment (LCA) for wood and concrete building design
  - 17.4 Using LCA to compare concrete and wood construction: a case study
  - 17.5 Selection and adaptation of LCA tools
  - 17.6 Life cycle impact assessment and interpretation
  - 17.7 Future trends
  - 17.8 Sources of further information and advice
- 18: Assessing the sustainability of prefabricated buildings
  - Abstract
  - 18.1 Introduction
  - 18.2 A brief history of prefabricated buildings
  - 18.3 Types of prefabrication technologies
  - 18.4 Assessing prefabricated buildings
  - 18.5 Case study: sustainability assessment of prefabricated school buildings
  - 18.6 Conclusions, recommendations and future trends
  - 18.7 Sources of further information and advice
  - 18.8 Acknowledgments
- 19: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of green façades and living wall systems
  - Abstract
  - 19.1 Introduction
  - 19.2 Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology
  - 19.3 Interpretation and analysis of LCA results
  - 19.4 Interpretation of the LCA analysis
  - 19.5 Conclusions
  - 19.6 Acknowledgements
- 20: Assessing the environmental and economic impacts of cladding systems for green buildings
  - Abstract
  - 20.1 Introduction
  - 20.2 The need for green buildings
  - 20.3 The role of cladding systems in making buildings green
  - 20.4 Implementation: assessing the eco-efficiency of cladding systems in Bahrain
  - 20.5 Interpretation and conclusions
- 21: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of windows and window materials
  - Abstract
  - 21.1 Introduction
  - 21.2 Modern window construction
  - 21.3 The life cycle of a window
  - 21.4 Previous window life cycle assessment (LCA) studies
  - 21.5 The influence of timing on the results of window LCA
  - 21.6 Use of advanced technology
  - 21.7 Selection of environmentally friendly window materials
  - 21.8 Current developments and future trends
- 22: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) structures
  - Abstract
  - 22.1 Introduction
  - 22.2 Life cycle assessment (LCA) data and impact assessment method
  - 22.3 Impact assessment of raw materials used in ultra high performance concrete (UHPC)
  - 22.4 Impact assessment of UHPC at material level
  - 22.5 Impact assessment of structures made with UHPC
  - 22.6 Cost of UHPC
  - 22.7 Conclusions and future trends
- 23: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in civil applications
  - Abstract
  - 23.1 Introduction
  - 23.2 Life cycle assessment (LCA) method
  - 23.3 LCA of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites: case studies
  - Results and discussion
  - Results
  - 23.4 Summary and conclusions
Index

F. Pacheco-Torgal

F. Pacheco-Torgal is a principal investigator at the CTAC Research Unit, University of Minho, Portugal. He currently holds the title of Counsellor from the Portuguese Engineers Association. Since 2019, he is a Scopus Highly Cited Scientist (SHCS) as per the Stanford University ranking. He has been a member of the editorial board of 9 international journals, 7 being indexed on Scopus or Web of Science, with the latest being "Case Studies in Construction Materials" since early 2023. Over the past 10 years he’s participated in the editorial decisions of 606 journal papers. Prof. Pacheco-Torgal acted as a foreign expert in the evaluation of 29 PhD thesis and has been a member of the scientific committee of almost 60 conferences stretching back a decade, most of these in Asia. He is a grant assessor for several scientific institutions across 15 countries: the United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, China, France, Australia, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic, Chile, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Croatia, and Poland, and the EU Commission. In the last 10 years he has reviewed approaching 80 research projects and has been an invited reviewer for 150 international journals, for which he has reviewed 1764 papers so far. He has been the lead editor of 27 books published across Woodhead Publishing, Elsevier, and Springer, 25 of these being indexed on Scopus or in the Master Book List of Web of Science.

Affiliations and expertise

Principal Investigator, CTAC Research Centre, University of Minho, Guimaraes, Portugal.

Luisa F. Cabeza

Luisa F. Cabeza is Professor at the University of Lleida (Spain) where she leads the GREA research group. She has co-authored over 100 journal papers and several book chapters. Luisa F. Cabeza received her PhD in Industrial Engineering in 1996 from the University Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain. She also holds degrees in Chemical Engineering (1992) and in Industrial Engineering (1993), as well as an MBA (1995) from the same University. Her interests include the different TES technologies (sensible, latent and thermochemical), applications (buildings, industry, refrigeration, CSP, etc.), and social aspects. She also acts as subject editor of the journals Renewable Energy, and Solar Energy.

Affiliations and expertise

Professor, University of Lleida, Spain

Joao Labrincha

João Labrincha is Associate Professor in the Materials and Ceramics Engineering Department of the University of Aveiro, Portugal, and member of the CICECO research unit. He has registered 22 patent applications, and has published over 170 papers.

Affiliations and expertise

University of Aveiro, Portugal

Aldo Giuntini de Magalhaes

Aldo Giuntini de Magalhães is a Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering and Construction at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and coordinates government research projects related to the area of Sustainable Buildings.

Affiliations and expertise

Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil