AN INTEGRATED ANALYSIS WITH LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT, BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE FOR WINDOW MATERIALS: ASSIUT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL CLINIC AS A CASE STUDY

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, College of Architecture and Planning, Qassim University, Qassim, 52571, Saudi Arabia

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Architectural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt

Abstract

The main goal of this study is to undertake the three methods of life cycle assessment (LCA), the environmental performance (EP), and the building information modeling (BIM) to determine the environmental performance and impacts of two window frame materials: aluminum and wood. This study has been carried out in a proposed project at the Assiut University campus. The LCA has been conducted by assessing materials and processes involved in manufacturing the two window frame types using the SimaPro. The LCA scope of this research covers from cradle to the gate with a designated system boundary. The network flow has been drawn to produce one kilogram of aluminum and wood; the quantities data were gathered from the BIM (using Autodesk Revit). Selecting the database is carefully picked from the Ecoinvent dataset to be closer to Egypt's manufacturing processes. Afterwards, the IMPACT 2002+ with midpoint and endpoint calculations has been used. Finally, the LCA results have been compared with the EP results (using DesignBuilder) to determine the best choice between the two materials.
The integration analysis shows that the aluminum industry has higher negative environmental impacts and environmental performance than the wood industry. The total midpoint results of the two materials are found to be 29.6  for aluminum, and 7.57  the wood. Turning to the endpoint results, human health and resource depletion impacts are the most significant results. The human health scored the highest value, with 13.9  for aluminum and 3.51  for wood.
A novel framework for integrating LCA, BIM, and EP for a proposed building during the early phases of a project has been conducted in this study. The presented study can be used as a model for integrating comparative analysis on other proposed projects as the LCA applications in Egypt are scarce due to the absence of a reliable database. This study has introduced a value applying an approach to select the appropriate life cycle inventory database from the Ecoinvent dataset. The research findings contribute to choosing the most suitable window frame materials with the most energy-efficient effect and the least environmental burden. Moreover, it can help the concerned legislative bodies and the decision-makers.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1]      M. Asif, "An empirical study on life cycle assessment of double-glazed aluminium-clad timber windows," Int. J. Build. Pathol. Adapt., vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 547–564, 2019, doi: 10.1108/IJBPA-01-2019-0001.
[2]      E. E. A. A. Ministry of Environment, Egypt's first Biennial Update Report to the United Nations Framework Convenstion on Climate Change. 2018.
[3]      Egyptian Ministry of Environment, State of the Environment Report 2017 Arab Republic of Egypt. 2017.
[4]      R. Santos, A. Aguiar Costa, J. D. Silvestre, and L. Pyl, "Development of a BIM-based Environmental and Economic Life Cycle Assessment tool," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 265, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121705.
[5]      B. Soust-Verdaguer, C. Llatas, and L. Moya, "Comparative BIM-based Life Cycle Assessment of Uruguayan timber and concrete-masonry single-family houses in design stage," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 277, p. 121958, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121958.
[6]      M. K. Ansah, X. Chen, H. Yang, L. Lu, and P. T. I. Lam, "An integrated life cycle assessment of different façade systems for a typical residential building in Ghana," Sustain. Cities Soc., vol. 53, no. November 2019, p. 101974, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2019.101974.
[7]      M. Owsianiak, A. Laurent, A. Bjørn, and M. Z. Hauschild, "IMPACT 2002+, ReCiPe 2008 and ILCD's recommended practice for characterisation modelling in life cycle impact assessment: A case study-based comparison," Int. J. Life Cycle Assess., vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 1007–1021, 2014, doi: 10.1007/s11367-014-0708-3.
[8]      Z. Xue, H. Liu, Q. Zhang, J. Wang, J. Fan, and X. Zhou, "The impact assessment of campus buildings based on a life cycle assessment-life cycle cost integrated model," Sustain., vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 1–24, 2020, doi: 10.3390/su12010294.
[9]      J. Adamus and M. Pomada, "Selected issues of choosing composite materials for window supporting beams," J. Build. Eng., vol. 32, no. February, p. 101542, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2020.101542.
[10]     J. Souviron, G. van Moeseke, and A. Z. Khan, "Analysing the environmental impact of windows: A review," Build. Environ., vol. 161, no. April, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106268.
[11]     V. Hasik, E. Escott, R. Bates, S. Carlisle, B. Faircloth, and M. M. Bilec, "Comparative whole-building life cycle assessment of renovation and new construction," Build. Environ., vol. 161, no. May, p. 106218, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106218.
[12]     N. Eisazadeh and K. Allacker, "Environmental Performance of Advanced Window Systems in Patient Rooms," Procedia CIRP, vol. 69, no. May, pp. 166–171, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.procir.2017.11.032.
[13]   G. Litti, A. Audenaert, and M. Lavagna, "Life cycle operating energy saving from windows retrofitting in heritage buildings accounting for technical performance decay," J. Build. Eng., vol. 17, no. December 2017, pp. 135–153, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2018.02.006.
[14]     F. Intini, G. Rospi, N. Cardinale, S. Köhtz, and M. Dassisti, "Life cycle assessment of Italian residential windows: Sensitivity of analysis," Int. J. Heat Technol., vol. 34, no. Special Issue 2, pp. S235–S241, 2016, doi: 10.18280/ijht.34S207.
[15]     H. Stichnothe and A. Azapagic, "Life cycle assessment of recycling PVC window frames," Resour. Conserv. Recycl., vol. 71, pp. 40–47, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2012.12.005.
[16]     J. Salazar, "Life cycle assessment (LCA) of windows and window materials," Eco-Efficient Constr. Build. Mater. Life Cycle Assess. (LCA), Eco-Labelling Case Stud., pp. 502–527, 2013, doi: 10.1533/9780857097729.3.502.
[17]     K. H. Kim, "A comparative life cycle assessment of a transparent composite façade system and a glass curtain wall system," Energy Build., vol. 43, no. 12, pp. 3436–3445, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2011.09.006.
[18]     A. Pierucci, A. Cannavale, F. Martellotta, and F. Fiorito, "Smart windows for carbon neutral buildings: A life cycle approach," Energy Build., vol. 165, pp. 160–171, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.01.021.
[19]     T. Bruce-Hyrkäs, P. Pasanen, and R. Castro, "Overview of Whole Building Life-Cycle Assessment for Green Building Certification and Ecodesign through Industry Surveys and Interviews," Procedia CIRP, vol. 69, no. May, pp. 178–183, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.procir.2017.11.127.
[20]     Carbon Leadership Forum, "Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings : Technical Guidance," no. June, p. 12, 2018, [Online]. Available: http://carbonleadershipforum.org/projects/lca-practice-guide/.
[21]     H. Gervasio and S. Dimova, Model for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of buildings. 2018.
[22]     D. M. M. Yacout, "Assessing Status of Life Cycle Assessment Studies in Egypt," vol. 2, no. August, pp. 177–189, 2019, doi: 10.14456/cast.2019.15.
[23]     G. Garas, E. Bakhoum, and M. Allam, "Optimal use of selected waste materials in buildings," Ecol. Environ. Conserv., vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 1129–1136, 2016.
[24]     S. Eleftheriadis, D. Mumovic, and P. Greening, "Life cycle energy efficiency in building structures: A review of current developments and future outlooks based on BIM capabilities," Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 67, pp. 811–825, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2016.09.028.
[25]     "Materials Database - Thermal Properties - Thermtest Inc.," 2020. https://thermtest.com/materials-database (accessed Sep. 28, 2020).
[26]     International Organization For Standardization (ISO), "ISO - ISO 14040:2006 - Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework," 2006. https://www.iso.org/standard/37456.html (accessed Sep. 04, 2020).
[27]     International Organization For Standardization (ISO), "ISO - ISO 14041:1998 - Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Goal and scope definition and inventory analysis," 1998. https://www.iso.org/standard/23152.html (accessed Sep. 04, 2020).
[28]     International Organization For Standardization (ISO), "ISO - ISO 14042:2000 - Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Life cycle impact assessment," 2000. https://www.iso.org/standard/23153.html (accessed Sep. 04, 2020).
[29]     International Organization For Standardization (ISO), "ISO - ISO 14043:2000 - Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Life cycle interpretation," 2000. https://www.iso.org/standard/23154.html (accessed Sep. 04, 2020).
[30]     M. M. Khasreen, P. F. G. Banfill, and G. F. Menzies, "Life-Cycle Assessment and the Environmental Impact of Buildings: A Review," Sustainability, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 674–701, Sep. 2009, doi: 10.3390/su1030674.
[31]     A. A. M. M. Ali, A. M. Negm, M. F. Bady, M. G. E. Ibrahim, and M. Suzuki, "Environmental impact assessment of the Egyptian cement industry based on a life-cycle assessment approach: a comparative study between Egyptian and Swiss plants," Clean Technol. Environ. Policy, vol. 18, no. 4, 2016, doi: 10.1007/s10098-016-1096-0.
[32]     S. G. Al-Ghamdi and M. M. Bilec, "Green Building Rating Systems and Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment: Comparative Study of the Existing Assessment Tools," J. Archit. Eng., vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 1–9, 2017, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)AE.1943-5568.0000222.
[33]     T. M. M. Asif, A. Davidson, "Life Cycle of Window Materials - a Comparative Assessment," Chart. Inst. Build. Serv. Eng. CIBSE, pp. 1–13, 2002.
[34]     A. Ghose, S. J. McLaren, and D. Dowdell, "Upgrading New Zealand's existing office buildings – An assessment of life cycle impacts and its influence on 2050 climate change mitigation target," Sustain. Cities Soc., vol. 57, no. March, p. 102134, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102134.
[35]     A. D. La Rosa et al., "Life cycle assessment of a novel hybrid glass-hemp/thermoset composite," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 44, pp. 69–76, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.11.038.
[36]     Chin How Ong, "Life Cycle Assessment of Cement in Malaysia," 2007.
[37]     R. Azari, "Integrated energy and environmental life cycle assessment of office building envelopes," Energy Build., vol. 82, pp. 156–162, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2014.06.041.
[38]     A. Mastrucci, A. Marvuglia, U. Leopold, and E. Benetto, "Life Cycle Assessment of building stocks from urban to transnational scales: A review," Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 74, no. February, pp. 316–332, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2017.02.060.
[39]     V. Oquendo-Di Cosola, F. Olivieri, L. Ruiz-García, and J. Bacenetti, "An environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Living Wall Systems," J. Environ. Manage., vol. 254, no. November 2019, p. 109743, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109743.
[40]     P. Hewlett, Lea" s Chemistry of Cement and Concrete, vol. 58, no. 10. 2004.
[41]     A. A. M. Ali, A. M. Negm, M. F. Bady, M. G. E. Ibrahim, and M. Suzuki, "Environmental impact assessment of the Egyptian cement industry based on a life-cycle assessment approach: a comparative study between Egyptian and Swiss plants," Clean Technol. Environ. Policy, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 1053–1068, 2016, doi: 10.1007/s10098-016-1096-0.
[42]     M. Dabaieh, J. Heinonen, D. El-Mahdy, and D. M. Hassan, "A comparative study of life cycle carbon emissions and embodied energy between sun-dried bricks and fired clay bricks," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 275, p. 122998, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122998.
[43]     E. Jamieson, B. McLellan, A. van Riessen, and H. Nikraz, "Comparison of embodied energies of Ordinary Portland Cement with Bayer-derived geopolymer products," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 99, pp. 112–118, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.03.008.
[44]     B. Cai, J. Wang, J. He, and Y. Geng, "Evaluating CO2 emission performance in China's cement industry: An enterprise perspective," Appl. Energy, vol. 166, pp. 191–200, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.11.006.
[45]     D. Song, J. Yang, B. Chen, T. Hayat, and A. Alsaedi, "Life-cycle environmental impact analysis of a typical cement production chain," Appl. Energy, vol. 164, pp. 916–923, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.09.003.
[46]     S. Eleftheriadis, P. Duffour, and D. Mumovic, "BIM-embedded life cycle carbon assessment of RC buildings using optimised structural design alternatives," Energy Build., vol. 173, pp. 587–600, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.05.042.
[47]     A. Martínez-Rocamora, J. Solís-Guzmán, and M. Marrero, “LCA databases focused on construction materials: A review,” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 58, pp. 565–573, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.12.243.
[48]     Ecoinvent Centre, "Ecoinvent data v3.2," Switzerland.: Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, 2016. http://www.ecoinvent.org/home.html (accessed Mar. 28, 2016).
[49]     C. Ingrao, A. Messineo, R. Beltramo, T. Yigitcanlar, and G. Ioppolo, "How can life cycle thinking support sustainability of buildings? Investigating life cycle assessment applications for energy efficiency and environmental performance," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 201, pp. 556–569, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.080.
[50]     M. U. Hossain and S. Thomas Ng, "Influence of waste materials on buildings' life cycle environmental impacts: Adopting resource recovery principle," Resour. Conserv. Recycl., vol. 142, no. October 2018, pp. 10–23, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.11.010.
[51]     X. Bengoa and M. Margni, “IMPACT 2002 + : User Guide,” 2012.
[52]     H. Babaizadeh, N. Haghighi, S. Asadi, R. Broun, and D. Riley, "Life cycle assessment of exterior window shadings in residential buildings in different climate zones," Build. Environ., vol. 90, pp. 168–177, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.03.038.
[53]     J. Wang, H. Wu, H. Duan, G. Zillante, J. Zuo, and H. Yuan, "Combining life cycle assessment and Building Information Modelling to account for carbon emission of building demolition waste: A case study," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 172, pp. 3154–3166, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.11.087.
[54]     G. F. Hundy, A. R. Trott, and T. C. Welch, "Refrigerants," in Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps, Elsevier, 2016, pp. 41–58.
[55]     G. Doka et al., "The Assessment of Environmental Impacts caused by Land Use in the Life Cycle Assessment of Forestry and Forest Products," 2016.
[56]     J. Hong, J. Hong, J. Zhou, and X. Xu, "Environmental and economic life cycle assessment of aluminium-silicon alloys production: A case study in China," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 24, pp. 11–19, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.11.003.
[57]     F. Segovia, P. Blanchet, B. Amor, C. Barbuta, and R. Beauregard, "Life cycle assessment contribution in the product development process: Case study of wood aluminium-laminated panel," Sustain., vol. 11, no. 8, 2019, doi: 10.3390/su11082258.
[58]     P. Nunez and S. Jones, "Cradle to gate: life cycle impact of primary aluminium production," Int. J. Life Cycle Assess., vol. 21, no. 11, pp. 1594–1604, Nov. 2016, doi: 10.1007/s11367-015-1003-7.
[59]     H. Babaizadeh and M. Hassan, "Life cycle assessment of nano-sized titanium dioxide coating on residential windows," Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 40, pp. 314–321, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.09.083.
[60]     A. Invidiata and E. Ghisi, "Life-cycle energy and cost analyses of window shading used to improve the thermal performance of houses," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 133, pp. 1371–1383, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.06.072.
[61]     J. N. Mbithi, V. S. Springthorpe, and S. A. Sattar, "Effect of relative humidity and air temperature on survival of hepatitis A virus on environmental surfaces," Appl. Environ. Microbiol., vol. 57, no. 5, pp. 1394–1399, 1991, doi: 10.1128/aem.57.5.1394-1399.1991.
[62]     D. C. on W. in the S. Advisory, "2019 Annual Report," 2019 Annu. Rep., vol. 61, no. January, p. 26, 2019, doi: 10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004.
[63]     G. Athira, A. Bahurudeen, and S. Appari, "Sustainable alternatives to carbon intensive paddy field burning in India: A framework for cleaner production in agriculture, energy, and construction industries," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 236, p. 117598, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.07.073.
[64]     N. Said, S. A. El-Shatoury, L. F. Díaz, and M. Zamorano, "Quantitative appraisal of biomass resources and their energy potential in Egypt," Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 24, pp. 84–91, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2013.03.014.
[65]     M. M. Abdel Daiem, N. Said, and A. M. Negm, "Potential energy from residual biomass of rice straw and sewage sludge in Egypt," Procedia Manuf., vol. 22, pp. 818–825, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.promfg.2018.03.116.
[66]     N. N Atta and A. A El Baz, "Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Wastewater Activated Sludge and Rice Straw in Batch and Semi Continuous Modes," J. Fundam. Renew. Energy Appl., vol. 06, no. 02, 2016, doi: 10.4172/2090-4541.1000204.
[67]     J. Salazar and T. Sowlati, "Life cycle assessment of windows for the North American residential market: Case study," Scand. J. For. Res., vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 121–132, 2008, doi: 10.1080/02827580801906981.
[68]     H. Babaizadeh, N. Haghighi, R. Broun, and S. Asadi, "Life Cycle Assessment of Common Materials Used for Exterior Window Shadings in Residential Buildings," Procedia Eng., vol. 118, pp. 794–801, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.proeng.2015.08.516.
JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences
Volume 48, No 6
November and December 2020
Pages 1024-1050

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics