Top 10 LCA FAQs Bibliography

We’ve been asked about recommended reading. While there are over 50 references embedded in our Top 10 articles these are ones we agreed likeminded structural engineers should turn to first. Enjoy!

Anderson, J., Silman, R. (2009) “A Life Cycle Inventory of Structural Engineering Design Strategies for Greenhouse Gas Reduction,” Structural Engineering International, March 2009 Issue.

Arup (2010) “Embodied Carbon Study: Study of Commercial Office, Hospital and School buildings,” The Concrete Centre, United Kingdom.

Cole, R., Kernan, P. (1996). Life-Cycle Energy Use in Office Buildings, Buildings and Environment, 31 (4): 307-317

Comber, M.V. & Poland, C. (2013). “Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Design: Quantifying the Benefits of a Holistic Design Approach.” Proceedings, American Society of Civil Engineers- Structural Engineering Institute (ASCE-SEI) Structures Congress, Pittsburgh, PA.

Curran, M. A. (2006). Life cycle assessment: principles and practice. Cincinnati, Ohio, 80.

Fernandez, N. P. (2008). “The Influence of Construction Materials on Life-Cycle Energy Use and Carbon Dioxide Emissions of Medium Size Commercial Buildings” Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.

Hsu, S. (2010) “Life Cycle Assessment of Materials and Construction in Commercial Structures: Variability and Limitations,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Kaether, Burridge (2012) “Embodied CO2 of Structural Frames”, The Structural Engineer.

Kneer, E., & Maclise, L. (2008). “Consideration of Building Performance in Sustainable Design: A Structural Engineer’s Role.” Proceedings, Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) Annual Convention.

Konig, H. Kholer, N. Kreissig, J. Lutzkendorf, T. (2010). A life cycle approach to buildings: principles, calculations, design tools. Radaktion DETAIL, Munich.

LEED (2012) Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction v4 Draft. USGBC.

Ochsendorf, J., et al. (2011) “Methods, Impacts, and Opportunities in the Concrete Building Life Cycle,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Preservation Green Lab (2011) The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse, National Trust for Historic Preservation. [Accessed July 11,2014 from http://www.preservationnation.org/information-center/sustainable-communities/green-lab/lca/The_Greenest_Building_lowres.pdf]

Ramesh, T., Prakash, R., Shukla, K.K. (2010) “Life cycle energy analysis of buildings: An overview,” Energy and Buildings, 42 1592-1600.

Simonen, K. (2014) Life Cycle Assesment, New York, Routledge.

Webster, M., Kestner, D., Parker, J., Waltham, M.. (2007) “Deconstructalbe and Reusable Composite Slab,” Winners in the Building Category: Component – Professional Unbuilt, Lifecycle Building Challenge

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Comparing LCA Results with Biogenic Carbon

One study from New Zealand (Fernandez 2008) demonstrates the varying carbon emission results by comparing LCAs of the same building designed using four different primary building materials and two different LCI data sources.  Embodied carbon emissions factors in Figure 2 sourced from the a New Zealand dataset (Alcorn 2003) included biogenic carbon (negative indicating carbon sequestration) while the factors in Figure 3 from the GaBi inventory did not. 

Figure 1, Embodied CO2 for Four Buildings, Alcorn Database

Because the treatment of biogenic carbon in an LCA can result in significantly different conclusions, the World Resource Institute/World Business Council for Sustainable Development Greenhouse Gas Protocol (World Resources Institute 2011) recommends that biogenic carbon absorption and emissions be reported as a separate inventory item.  LCAs that report biogenic carbon in this manner are most transparent.  The LCI data for U.S. wood processes and products reported in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s LCI database and in CORRIM Reports does not include biogenic carbon, however, the carbon sequestered in a piece of lumber can be estimated based on wood chemistry.   

Figure 2, Embodied CO2 for Four Building Types, GaBi Database

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