Life Cycle Analysis in Construction Industry: the Case of a University Building

The aim of this book is to investigate the whole life cycle of a building, regarded carbon emissions and energy consumption. Buildings have considerable impact on environment: from construction, use, maintenance and renewal to their demolition. Considering their environmental, economic and social impacts, it is obvious that buildings are an important part of sustainable cities. The current research has been performed using the LCA methodology, which allows evaluating the environmental burdens related to the production and use of a specific product or service. The studied building was the PG centre of HW University that is located in Riccarton Campus, Edinburgh. Results of the analysis found the great contribution of use stage as it concerns CO2 environmental impacts. At the construction stage, reinforced concrete, plasterboard, steel and bricks were the most significant material, regarding quantities. As it concerns carbon emissions, steel is the most important material. The study focused on the small distribution of end-use phase and the credits associated with the use of recycled material since it can have a strong influence on the final environmental impacts.