Journal article
Reusing exterior wall framing systems: A cradle-to-cradle comparative life cycle assessment
Waste management (Elmsford), v 94, pp 120-135
01 Jul 2019
PMID: 31279388
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
The construction industry consumes 40% of the global materials and produces one of the largest waste streams in the planet. In a circular economy, the reuse of building components in multiple life cycles aims at increasing resource efficiency and eliminating waste. But can reuse offset the environmental impacts of materials with high embodied energy (e.g. steel)? If so, in what conditions? In the study presented in this paper, the authors used two different life cycle assessment (LCA) methods to compare a single-use wood-framed wall against a reusable steel-framed wall in a tiny house in the U.S. The analyzed impact categories were global warming potential, embodied energy, and water use. One of the main goals of this study was to understand the benefits of reusing a material with high embodied energy when compared to a single-use alternative. Another equally important objective was to understand how different LCA methods can influence the results in a cradle-to-cradle (C2C) LCA. As results, reuse benefits depended on aggressive reuse rates (>70%) and multiple reuses of steel were needed to offset the embodied environmental impacts during steel production. Also, the analyses showed that process-based LCA and hybrid LCA can generate conflicting results in a C2C LCA.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Reusing exterior wall framing systems: A cradle-to-cradle comparative life cycle assessment
- Creators
- Fernanda Cruz Rios - Arizona State UniversityDavid Grau - Arizona State UniversityWai K Chong - Arizona State University
- Publication Details
- Waste management (Elmsford), v 94, pp 120-135
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000477786000013
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85066332532
- Other Identifier
- 991021894536804721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Engineering, Environmental
- Environmental Sciences