scholarly journals Residential Life Cycle Assessment Modeling: Comparative Case Study of Insulating Concrete Forms and Traditional Building Materials

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neethi Rajagopalan ◽  
Melissa M Bilec ◽  
Amy E Landis
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Impact Category ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Frame Structure ◽  
Use Phase ◽  
Wood Frame ◽  
The Impact

Innovative, sustainable construction products are emerging in response to market demands. One potential product, insulating concrete forms (ICFs), offers possible advantages in energy and environmental performance when compared with traditional construction materials. Even though ICFs are in part derived from a petroleum-based product, the benefits in the use phase outweigh the impacts of the raw material extraction and manufacturing phase. This paper quantitatively measures ICFs' performance through a comparative life cycle assessment of wall sections comprised of ICF and traditional wood-frame. The life cycle stages included raw materials extraction and manufacturing, construction, use and end of life for a 2,450 square foot house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Results showed that even though building products such as ICFs are energy intensive to produce and thus have higher environmental impacts in the raw materials extraction and manufacturing phase, the use phase dominated in the life cycle. For the use phase, the home constructed of ICFs consumed 20 percent less energy when compared to a traditional wood-frame structure. The results of the impact assessment show that ICFs have higher impacts over wood homes in most impact categories. The high impacts arise from the raw materials extraction and manufacturing phase of ICFs. But there are a number of embedded unit processes such as disposal of solid waste and transport of natural gas that contribute to this high impact and identifying the top unit process and substance contributors to the impact category is not intuitive. Selecting different unit processes or impact assessment methods will yield dissimilar results and the tradeoffs associated with every building product should be considered after studying the entire life cycle in detail.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment dan Life Cycle Cost untuk Serat Kenaf

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-224
Author(s):  
Desrina Yusi Irawati ◽  
Melati Kurniawati
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Impact Category ◽  
Kenaf Fiber ◽  
A Value ◽  
Treatment Stage ◽  
The Impact

Kenaf fiber from the kenaf plant is the excellent raw material for industry because of the various diversified products it produces. To develop sustainable kenaf fiber, information is needed on the strengths and weaknesses of kenaf cultivation systems with respect to productivity and environmental impact. Therefore, a comprehensive environmental and economic impact assessment was conducted from cultivating kenaf to kenaf fiber. The environmental impact assessment uses the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method and economic calculations from the life cycle of kenaf to kenaf fiber to collectors use the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) method. The calculation of environmental impacts is in accordance with the stages of ISO 14040, using a single score assessment. The LCA results show that the treatment stage is the highest contributor of the three groups of impact categories. The highest to the lowest in the impact category group that was influenced by the treatment stage were resources with a value of 21.4 mPt, human health with a value of 8.76 mPt, and ecosystem quality with a value of 1.91 mPt. The cost identified through the LCC is Rp. 6,088,468,333, NVP and B/Cnet are positive. The results of the sensitivity analysis if there is a reduction in production> 6%, the business is still profitable and can be run.

scholarly journals Valuing Biodiversity in Life Cycle Impact Assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Lindner ◽  
Horst Fehrenbach ◽  
Lisa Winter ◽  
Judith Bloemer ◽  
Eva Knuepffer
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Impact Assessment Method ◽  
The Impact

In this article, the authors propose an impact assessment method for life cycle assessment (LCA) that adheres to established LCA principles for land use-related impact assessment, bridges current research gaps and addresses the requirements of different stakeholders for a methodological framework. The conservation of biodiversity is a priority for humanity, as expressed in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing biodiversity across value chains is a key challenge for enabling sustainable production pathways. Life cycle assessment is a standardised approach to assess and compare environmental impacts of products along their value chains. The impact assessment method presented in this article allows the quantification of the impact of land-using production processes on biodiversity for several broad land use classes. It provides a calculation framework with degrees of customisation (e.g., to take into account regional conservation priorities), but also offers a default valuation of biodiversity based on naturalness. The applicability of the method is demonstrated through an example of a consumer product. The main strength of the approach is that it yields highly aggregated information on the biodiversity impacts of products, enabling biodiversity-conscious decisions about raw materials, production routes and end user products.

scholarly journals Comparative Study of Conventional and Zero-joint Edgebanding

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-35
Author(s):  
Mária Réka Antal ◽  
Levente Dénes ◽  
Zsigmond András Vas ◽  
András Polgár
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Impact Category ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Manufacturing Technology ◽  
Aesthetic Appearance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quality Categories

Edgebanding affects both the visual appearance and edge protection of wood-based panels. In order for edgebanding to provide the desired protection, it must adhere strongly to the entire surface of the panel edges and maintain this adhesion throughout the life of the product. The present research compares conventional and so-called zero-joint edgebandings in terms of water and steam resistance, and examines the environmental impacts of edgebanding technologies using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In-line with our hypothesis, our test results showed that corners are the critical points of edgebanded furniture fronts, especially when exposed to moisture. Due to high variations in measurements, there is no significant difference between the two edgebanding methods at the beginning. However, differences become more significant after longer treatment times. These differences amount to two quality categories after 6 hours and three quality categories after 12 and 24 hours. The edgebanded fronts exposed to water for less than 30 minutes experience no significant deteriorations with any of the edgebanding methods. In the case of steam resistance, zero-joint edgebanding provides better protection, especially after the second and third treatment cycle. We can state that the surplus costs of zero-joint technology are 1.45 times greater than costs associated with conventional technology. Both show the considerable costs of edging materials, chipboard, and electrical energy. The applied environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) method corresponds to the requirements of ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006 standards. We built up the environmental inventory and the life cycle model of the manufacturing technology using the GaBi Professional LCA software. In the impact assessment, we analysed the specific environmental impact categories of the differing production processes by technology according to the operation order of the manufacturing technology. In relation to traditional and the zero-joint edging technologies, according to all impact assessment methods, the life-cycle contribution rate was uniformly 47% traditional – 53% zero-joint by impact category. The higher indicator values of the zero-joint method are due to larger edge material consumption and higher energy demand. Zero-joint technology appears to avoid the application of conventional hot melt adhesives, but replacing these adhesives does not necessarily result in better environmental indicators. Nevertheless, zero-joint egdebanding does not just improve aesthetic appearance but also exceeds the durability provided by conventional edgebanding technology.

scholarly journals Impactos sociales del espárrago en Perú: Identificación y evaluación de impactos sociales en la etapa de procesamiento del espárrago blanco fresco en La Libertad (Perú), mediante la técnica Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA)

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
César Terán
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Social Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Export Sector ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

A pesquisa apresenta um estudo de caso de identificação e avaliação de impactos sociais na produção de aspargos brancos frescos no Peru, com a participação de uma empresa líder do setor de agroexportação. A técnica utilizada foi a Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida Social (S-LCA), considerando apenas a etapa de processamento, em que várias atividades são concluídas para transformar a matéria-prima em produto acabado. Desta forma, a equipe de pesquisa definiu três categorias de atores, 15 subcategorias e 67 indicadores específicos, para os quais foram coletadas informações de fontes primárias e secundárias. Uma metodologia existente, baseada na avaliação do desempenho e na avaliação do impacto de cada subcategoria, foi adaptada para a avaliação de impacto. Os resultados da avaliação determinam que a empresa demonstre níveis satisfatórios de responsabilidade social corporativa, gerando, na maioria dos casos, impactos positivos sobre seus stakeholders.  Palavras-chave: Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida Social (S-LCA). Avaliação de Impacto Social. Aspargos.ResumenLa investigación presenta un caso de estudio de identificación y evaluación de impactos sociales en la producción del espárrago blanco fresco en Perú, contando com la participación de una empresa representativa del rubro agroexportador. Se utilizo la técnica Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA), considerando solamente la etapa de procesamiento, en la cual se presentan diversas actividades orientadas a transformar la materia prima en producto terminado. En ese sentido, se definieron 3 categorías de stakeholders, 15 subcategorías y 67 indicadores específicos, para los cuales se recolectó información de fuentes secundarias y primarias. Para la evaluación de impactos se adaptó una metodología existente, basada en la evaluación del desempeño y la evaluación de impactos de cada subcategoría. Los resultados de análisis determinan que la empresa muestra niveles satisfactorios en materia de responsabilidad social empresarial, generando, en la mayoría de casos, impactos positivos en sus grupos de interés. Palabras clave: Análisis del Ciclo de Vida Social (S-ACV). Evaluación de Impactos Sociales. Espárrago.AbstractThe research presents a case study of identification and evaluation of social impacts in the production of fresh white asparagus in Peru, with the participation of a leader company of the agro-export sector. The technique used was Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA), considering only the processing stage, in which several activities are completed in order to transform the raw material into finished product. Accordingly, the research team defined 3 categories of stakeholders, 15 subcategories and 67 specific indicators, for which information was collected from secondary and primary sources. An existing methodology, based on performance evaluation and impact assessment of each subcategory, was adapted for the impact assessment. The results of the assessment determine that the company shows satisfactory levels of corporate social responsibility, generating, in most cases, positive impacts on its stakeholders.Keywords: Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA). Social Impact Assessment. Asparagus.

scholarly journals 2-Piece Cork Stoppers as Alternative for Valorization of Thin Cork Planks: Analysis by LCA Methodology

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 873
Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Flor-Montalvo ◽  
Agustín Sánchez-Toledo Ledesma ◽  
Eduardo Martínez Cámara ◽  
Emilio Jiménez-Macías ◽  
Jorge Luis García-Alcaraz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Lca Methodology ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Thickness ◽  
Cork Stoppers ◽  
Wine Bottle

Natural stoppers are a magnificent closure for the production of aging wines and unique wines, whose application is limited by the availability of raw materials and more specifically of cork sheets of different thickness and quality. The growing demand for quality wine bottle closures leads to the search for alternative stopper production. The two-piece stopper is an alternative since it uses non-usable plates in a conventional way for the production of quality caps. The present study has analyzed the impact of the manufacture of these two-piece stoppers using different methodologies and for different dimensions by developing an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), concluding that the process phases of the plate, its boiling, and its stabilization, are the phases with the greatest impact. Likewise, it is detected that the impacts in all phases are relatively similar (for one kg of net cork produced), although the volumetric difference between these stoppers represents a significant difference in impacts for each unit produced.

scholarly journals Sustainability of Extraction of Raw Material by a Combination of Mobile and Stationary Mining Machines and Optimization of Machine Life Cycle

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10454
Author(s):  
Katarína Teplická ◽  
Martin Straka
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Optimal Distribution ◽  
Transport Costs ◽  
Scientific Discussion ◽  
Mining Companies ◽  
Conveyor Belts ◽  
The Impact

This article summarizes the arguments within the scientific discussion on the issue of using mining machines and their life cycle. The main goal of the article is to investigate the impact of a combination of mobile and stationary mining machines and their optimal distribution in the mining process to increase the efficiency of mining and processing of raw materials. The following methods of research were focused on the use of technical indicators for the valuation efficiency of the mining process: a simulation method was used for the distribution of mining machines, comparison analysis was used for the real and past state of mining machines, and a decision tree was used as managerial instrument for optimal alternatives of mining machines. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves that optimal distribution of mining machines and machine parks is very important for mining companies. The benefit of this research for the mining company was the new location of the machines and the combination of stationary production lines and mobile equipment. The optimal layout of the machines reduced the number of conveyor belts and improved the transfer of limestone processing to mobile devices, saving time, which was reflected in transport costs. The results can be useful for other mining companies seeking to create an optimal machine park.

scholarly journals Global Warming Impacts Study of Tofu Products in Mampang Prapatan Small and Medium Enterprises with Life Cycle Assessment Methods

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bayu Sukmana ◽  
Isti Surjandari ◽  
Muryanto . ◽  
Arief A. R. Setiawan ◽  
Edi Iswanto Wiloso
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Liquefied Petroleum Gas ◽  
Fuel Wood ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Impact

Firstly global warming issue caused by greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) which comes from human activities. Along with increasing of daily need, that humans of activities food produce is also increase, include of tofu. Tofu is a traditional Indonesian specialty made from soybeans and used as a side dish. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of global warming from tofu products on Mampang Prapatan's Small Tofu and Medium Enterprises. The method used in this study is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method with the help of Simapro 8.4 software with a 1 kg tofu functional unit. The data collected in this study is the average data of tofu production for 3 months, namely January - March 2018. The LCA data in this study include the process of soybean cultivation, transportation processes for shipping soybeans, water, fuel wood, and electricity use. The limitations of this study are from cradle (soybean cultivation) to gate (tofu products).The results showed that UKM Mampang Prapatan has the potential impact of global warming with a value of 3.84 kg CO2-eq, while the value of global warming in the production process knows the scenario of wastewater treatment and the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as fuel for boiling pulp 4.49 kg CO2-eq soybeans. Based on the results of this study, greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions are issued; the intervention that can be done is to optimize the use of raw materials for production to reduce the impact of CO2-eq kg global warming.

Comparison of Life Cycle Assessment of Two Toasters

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raghunathan Srinivasan ◽  
Gaurav Ameta
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Recovery Phase ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Energy Impact ◽  
Household Products ◽  
Use Phase ◽  
One Year

The objective of this paper is to determine and compare the environmental impacts of two toasters: standard and eco-friendly. The most rapidly growing sector for the e-waste world comes from Electronic household products. More than 2 million tons of electronic products are disposed off as solid waste to landfills in the US alone. The demand for energy supplies has been rapidly increasing in the past decade. Strict legislative measures should be enforced to protect the environment by making industries collect back the manufactured products at the End-of-Life (EOL) from the users and recycle the products. If these necessary steps are not taken, then these e-wastes will impose serious threat to society and the environment. In order to re-design environmentally friendly products and facilitate sustainable take-back planning, current products need to be evaluated for their environmental impacts. One of the widely used methodologies to assess the environmental impacts of a product is called Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is a cradle to grave approach for assessing the environmental impacts of a product. The cradle to grave approach includes raw material phase, manufacturing and assembly phase, use phase, recovery phase and disposal phase. The system boundary for LCA presented in this paper includes material phase, manufacturing phase, use-phase and disposal phase. The functional unit for the LCA is entire life of the toaster which is one year based on manufacturer’s warranty which also includes the rate of usage. The environmental impacts from the two toasters as presented in this paper include eutrophication, acidification, energy-use and global warming. The use phase energy impact is experimentally determined.

A semi-quantitative method for the impact assessment of emissions within a simplified life cycle assessment

2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Günter Fleischer ◽  
Karin Gerner ◽  
Heiko Kunst ◽  
Kerstin Lichtenvort ◽  
Gerald Rebitzer
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Quantitative Method ◽  
The Impact

Improving Life Cycle Assessment by Including Spatial, Dynamic and Place-Based Modeling

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Reap ◽  
Bert Bras ◽  
Patrick J. Newcomb ◽  
Carol Carmichael
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Spatial Dynamic ◽  
Ecosystem Models ◽  
Lumped Parameter ◽  
Additional Improvement ◽  
Explicit Dynamic ◽  
The Impact

Drawing from the substantial body of literature on life cycle assessment / analysis (LCA), the article summarizes the methodology’s limitations and failings, discusses some proposed improvements and suggests an additional improvement. After describing the LCA methodology within the context of ISO guidelines, the article summaries the limitations and failings inherent in the method’s life cycle inventory and impact assessment phases. The article then discusses improvements meant to overcome problems related to lumped parameter, static, site-independent modeling. Finally, the article suggests a remedy for some of the problems with LCA. Linking industrial models with spatially explicit, dynamic and site-specific ecosystem models is suggested as a means of improving the impact assessment phase of LCA.

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