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Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings
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Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 33377

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Krishanu Roy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
Interests: cold-formed steel structures; application of artificial intelligence and machine learning for the structural prediction of steel structures; fire engineering; modular construction; sustainability and life cycle analysis of structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Increasing interest in developing methods to better understand and address the impacts of construction materials along their life cycle has been stimulated by a growing global awareness of the importance of protecting the environment, an acknowledgement of the risks of trade-offs between possible impacts associated with building materials (both manufactured and used in buildings), and the necessity of considering climate change issues and biodiversity from a holistic perspective. Life cycle assessment, also known as life cycle analysis, is used to assess sustainable environmental impacts associated with all stages of a building material’s life. The stages include the collection of the raw materials; processing those materials; manufacturing the product; distribution via various transportation techniques; the use of the product; as well as the product’s repair, disposal, and recycling during its end of life. The main aim of this Special Issue, “Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings” in Buildings is to provide a platform for the discussion of the major research challenges and achievements on the life cycle analysis of buildings constructed from different building materials. Therefore, the aim is to collect the results of research and practical experience in sustainable building structures, and other relevant topics. Dr Roy warmly invites authors to submit their papers for potential inclusion in this Special Issue, “Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings”.

Dr. Krishanu Roy
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable materials
  • life cycle analysis
  • whole-of-life embodied carbon
  • operational energy
  • circular economy
  • energy efficiency
  • recycling

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 24419 KiB  
Article
International Survey of the Usage of Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment Software
by Thais Sartori, Robin Drogemuller, Sara Omrani and Fiona Lamari
Buildings 2022, 12(8), 1278; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12081278 - 20 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1571
Abstract
The pressure to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings over their lifetime has driven certification bodies and the government to require a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). However, LCA is a data-intensive and time-consuming process which complicates design activities, especially when performing a Whole [...] Read more.
The pressure to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings over their lifetime has driven certification bodies and the government to require a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). However, LCA is a data-intensive and time-consuming process which complicates design activities, especially when performing a Whole Building LCA (WBLCA). Software tools can simplify the assessment by providing information more aligned with the users’ needs. This research surveyed 178 building designers who utilise WBLCA software as a decision-making tool. The aim was to identify patterns in the usage of the software and provide guidance to WBLCA software developers. For this purpose, statistical analyses identified the software preferences within each group of users, e.g., the users’ geographical location, professional background and years of WBLCA experience, among others. The results identified challenges faced by the construction industry, such as the need for more efficient communication among stakeholders. Therefore, attributes that allow designers to share information were rated as the most valuable. Two main groups of users were identified, and guidelines were drawn based on the profiles of the groups. Improving software support to designers will enable WBLCA to be integrated more efficiently with BPP by improving the users’ experience and their ability to make more informed decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings)
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16 pages, 1886 KiB  
Article
Selection of Low-Carbon Building Materials in Construction Projects: Construction Professionals’ Perspectives
by Melissa Chan, Md. Asrul Nasid Masrom and Suleiman Said Yasin
Buildings 2022, 12(4), 486; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12040486 - 14 Apr 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4920
Abstract
The construction sector in Malaysia has been facing challenges in productivity due to the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aims to enhance the usage of low-carbon building materials among construction professionals so that the carbon emission and GHG can be [...] Read more.
The construction sector in Malaysia has been facing challenges in productivity due to the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aims to enhance the usage of low-carbon building materials among construction professionals so that the carbon emission and GHG can be reduced during the early stage of construction. The scope of this research involved main parties in the Malaysian construction industry, represented by fifty professionals including contractors, consultants, and architects with a focus on low-carbon building materials. Procedures in this study involved a literature review on low-carbon building materials in the construction industry followed by a questionnaire survey with analysis using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Major study findings indicated that there is a significant need for increasing the awareness of low-carbon building materials, as this is vital to introduce the concept of sustainable development and consequently cutting down carbon emissions to all parties working in construction. The study also suggested that barriers in adoption also prevent alternative material choices as a means of mitigating embodied carbon emissions. Many of these barriers are common across materials with uptake restricted by lack of demonstration projects, regulation, high costs, shortage of skilled labor, lack of design knowledge, time constraints, and lack of knowledge on LCA. The results are significant as the construction industry can seek to overcome these barriers by providing more information on material performance, design training on alternative materials, cost reduction on low-carbon materials, and more demonstration projects as well as case studies. From the work in this study, the industry must also share the knowledge on embodied carbon and implement regulations that will limit embodied carbon. The industry must adopt a business case strategy in encouraging greater value in assessment schemes to adopt low carbon building materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings)
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34 pages, 8394 KiB  
Article
A Proposed Model of Assessing the Adaptive Reuse of Heritage Buildings in Historic Jeddah
by Rawan Abdullatif Alhojaly, Abeer Abdulaziz Alawad and Noura Abdulrahman Ghabra
Buildings 2022, 12(4), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12040406 - 27 Mar 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5618
Abstract
Because of the remarkable interest in preserving the architectural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the emergence of multiple models of adaptively reused heritage buildings in the historic Jeddah area, it is necessary to ensure their correct usage, periodic evaluation, and [...] Read more.
Because of the remarkable interest in preserving the architectural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the emergence of multiple models of adaptively reused heritage buildings in the historic Jeddah area, it is necessary to ensure their correct usage, periodic evaluation, and sustainability. This study develops a model for evaluating the adaptive reuse of historical buildings to preserve their integrity and originality. It adopts a qualitative approach and analyzes references and charters, as well as classifications and methodologies associated with the adaptive use of heritage buildings. The model consists of two main axes. The first includes the basic information on the building, and the second includes elements and criteria for reuse, restoration, and repair, as well as intangible elements of the cultural heritage that can improve people’s livelihoods. It was judged by five architectural heritage specialists in the region to ensure comprehensiveness. This study will draw the attention of those responsible for preserving heritage buildings toward the need for the periodic evaluation of buildings, which can be done through use of the model, to ensure the authenticity and sustainability of historical buildings during reuse and determine if activities should continue or be halted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings)
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20 pages, 1624 KiB  
Article
Barriers to BIM-Based Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment for Buildings: An Interpretive Structural Modelling Approach
by Adetayo Onososen and Innocent Musonda
Buildings 2022, 12(3), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12030324 - 08 Mar 2022
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3456
Abstract
With the emergence of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as central to construction design, planning, execution and maintenance, integration into the entire infrastructure sustainability process is imperative for achieving sustainable development. Despite its immense benefit of aiding compliance to sustainable construction, potential barriers continue [...] Read more.
With the emergence of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as central to construction design, planning, execution and maintenance, integration into the entire infrastructure sustainability process is imperative for achieving sustainable development. Despite its immense benefit of aiding compliance to sustainable construction, potential barriers continue to widen the gap in implementation. Therefore, this study adopts the “interpretive structural modelling approach” to advance a ranked structure of the interrelatedness of the barriers to integrating BIM in buildings sustainability assessment. The “Matrice d’Impacts croises-multipication applique a classement analysis (MICMAC)” was utilised to categorise the identified adoption barriers in the model. The identified barriers and relationship with themselves are valuable in discussing the challenges to BIM-based LCA and developing policies and design decisions to drive the process further. Further, it adds to the emerging discussion of BIM from the life cycle sustainability assessment perspective for infrastructure. The findings are critical for policy, stakeholders and extending the body of knowledge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings)
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18 pages, 13377 KiB  
Article
Sustainability Performance of Green Building Rating Systems (GBRSs) in an Integration Model
by Sintayehu Assefa, Hsin-Yun Lee and Fang-Jye Shiue
Buildings 2022, 12(2), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12020208 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6059
Abstract
In most countries, more than one green building rating system (GBRS) is available on the market. Because of their different approaches, it is difficult to confirm which system can respond to sustainability requirements better. A building considered to be “green” by one Green [...] Read more.
In most countries, more than one green building rating system (GBRS) is available on the market. Because of their different approaches, it is difficult to confirm which system can respond to sustainability requirements better. A building considered to be “green” by one Green Building Council (GBC) may fail to satisfy the requirements set by another council. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sustainability performance of GBRSs and establish an integrated model of multi-certification for optimal sustainability. A direct content analysis method was utilized to evaluate GBRSs’ qualitative performance using the ISO sustainable building standards. In this study, seven purposively selected multi-certified buildings were evaluated, and an integrated model was proposed as a better mechanism for the multi-certification process. The proposed integrated model contributes to the achievement of sustainability indicators. The model was implemented on case study buildings, and the proposed combination shows better sustainability performance than existing practice. The developed model helps practitioners in their selection of GBRSs in the multi-certification process. In addition, the performance evaluation of GBRSs will support the future update of GBRSs. The qualitative performance evaluation was performed considering mandatory requirements and prerequisite and credit requirements of selected rating systems, making the work a stronger approach than previous studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings)
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16 pages, 2500 KiB  
Article
A Comparative Study on the Life Cycle Assessment of New Zealand Residential Buildings
by Aflah Alamsah Dani, Krishanu Roy, Rehan Masood, Zhiyuan Fang and James B. P. Lim
Buildings 2022, 12(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12010050 - 06 Jan 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5804
Abstract
In New Zealand, housing is typically low density, with light timber framing being the dominant form of construction with more than 90% of the market. From 2020, as a result of the global pandemic, there was a shortage of timber in New Zealand, [...] Read more.
In New Zealand, housing is typically low density, with light timber framing being the dominant form of construction with more than 90% of the market. From 2020, as a result of the global pandemic, there was a shortage of timber in New Zealand, resulting in increased popularity for light steel framing, the main alternative to timber for housing. At the same time, the New Zealand government is committed to sustainability practises through legislation and frameworks, such as the reduction of whole-of-life carbon emissions for the building industry. New Zealand recently announced reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions by 50% within 2030. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique for assessing the environmental aspects associated with a product over its life cycle. Despite the popularity of LCA in the construction industry of New Zealand, prior research results seem varied. There is no unified NZ context database to perform an LCA for buildings. Therefore, in this paper, a comprehensive study using LCA was conducted to quantify and compare the quantity of carbon emissions from two commonly designed houses in the Auckland region, one built from light timber and the other from light steel, both designed for a lifespan of 90 years. The cradle-to-cradle system boundary was used for the LCA. From the results of this study, it was found that the light steel house had 12.3% more carbon in total (including embodied and operational carbons) when compared to the light timber house, of which the manufacturing of two houses had a difference of 50.4% in terms of carbon emissions. However, when the end-of-life (EOL) analysis was included, it was found that the extra carbon could be offset due to the steel’s recyclability, reducing the amount of embodied carbon in the manufacturing process. Therefore, there was no significant difference in carbon emissions between the light steel and the light timber building, with the difference being only 12.3%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings)
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Review

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29 pages, 2446 KiB  
Review
A Critical Review on Optimization of Cold-Formed Steel Members for Better Structural and Thermal Performances
by Hao Liang, Krishanu Roy, Zhiyuan Fang and James B. P. Lim
Buildings 2022, 12(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12010034 - 01 Jan 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4580
Abstract
The construction and building sectors are currently responsible globally for a significant share of the total energy consumption and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. The use of Modern Methods of Construction can help reduce this, one example being the use of cold-formed steel (CFS) [...] Read more.
The construction and building sectors are currently responsible globally for a significant share of the total energy consumption and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. The use of Modern Methods of Construction can help reduce this, one example being the use of cold-formed steel (CFS) construction. CFS channel sections have inherent advantages, such as their high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent potential for recycling and reusing. CFS members can be rolled into different cross-sectional shapes and optimizing these shapes can further improve their load-bearing capacities, resulting in a more economical and efficient building solution. Conversely, the high thermal conductivity of steel can lead to thermal bridges, which can significantly reduce the building’s thermal performance and energy efficiency. Hence, it is also essential to consider the thermal energy performance of the CFS structures. This paper reviews the existing studies on the structural optimization of CFS sections and the thermal performance of such CFS structures. In total, over 160 articles were critically reviewed. The methodologies used in the existing literature for optimizing CFS members for both structural and thermal performances have been summarized and presented systematically. Research gaps from the existing body of knowledge have been identified, providing guidelines for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings)
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