Environmental performance analysis of residential buildings in Brazil using life cycle assessment (LCA)

• Published in: Construction & building materials Vol. 169; pp. 748 - 761
• Main Authors: Evangelista, Patricia P.A., Kiperstok, Asher, Torres, Ednildo A., Gonçalves, Jardel P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 30.04.2018; Elsevier B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Control; Emissions (Pollution); Environmental aspects; Environmental management; Environmental performance; Evaluation; Housing; Life cycle assessment; Methods; Residential buildings; Brazil; Life cycle assessment; Residential buildings; Environmental performance
• ISSN: 0950-0618; 1879-0526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.02.045

•Life Cycle Assessment from “cradle to grave” in four typical Brazilian dwellings.•Assessed global warming, energy demand and other six categories of impact.•Impact of the operational phase exceeds 80% in several impact categories.•Foundation, structure, masonry and coating are the most critical subsystems.•Concrete, ceramic tiles and steel had great contributions in the impacts. This paper aims to quantify the environmental performance of four typical Brazilian residential buildings with different typologies, through the complete Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) from “cradle to grave”. The LCA considers eight impact categories, including carbon emissions and energy demand. Our analysis includes the relative importance of life cycle phases, construction processes and materials that make the largest contributions to the buildings’ environmental impacts. According to the results, the operational phase is the most critical, the foundation, structure, masonry and coating have the greatest environmental impacts and in terms of materials, concrete, ceramic tiles and steel made the largest contributions.