Building lifespan: effect on the environmental impact of building components in a Danish perspective

Marsh, Rob

doi:10.1080/17452007.2016.1205471

Cited by 37 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The building lifespan can have significant effects on the overall environmental performance of a building (Marsh, 2017;Østergaard et al, 2018;Rasmussen & Birgisdóttir, 2016;Silvestre, Silva, & de Brito, 2015). Thus, it was set to 50 and 80 years respectively, according to the DGNB certification system for office buildings, in order to compare the effects of a longer and shorter building lifespan (Green Building Council Denmark, 2014).…”

Section: Case Study Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life cycle assessment of a Danish office building designed for disassembly

Eberhardt

Birgisdóttir

Birkved³

2018

Building Research & Information

140

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The building industry is responsible for a large proportion of anthropogenic environmental impacts. Circular economy (CE) is a restorative and regenerative industrial economic approach that promotes resource efficiency to reduce waste and environmental burdens. Transitioning from a linear approach to a CE within the building industry will be a significant challenge. However, an insufficient number of quantitative studies exist to confirm the potential (positive) environmental effects of CE within the built environment as well as a consistent method for characterizing these effects. This paper considers key methodological issues for quantifying the environmental implications of CE principles and proposes a life cycle assessment (LCA) allocation method to address these issues. The proposed method is applied to a case study of a Danish office building where the concrete structure is designed for disassembly (DfD) for subsequent reuse. The potential environmental impact savings vary between the different impact categories. The savings are significantly influenced by the building's material composition, particularly the number of component-use cycles as well as the service life of the building and its components. The substitution of other material choices (e.g. glass and wood) for the concrete structure exhibited a potential increase in impact savings.

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Section: Case Study Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life cycle assessment of a Danish office building designed for disassembly

Eberhardt

Birgisdóttir

Birkved³

2018

Building Research & Information

140

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“…In this sense, different authors have pointed to values ranging from 40 years to 100 years. Statistical analysis of the lifespan shows that a value of 50 years is acceptable, which is related to the aptitude of the service of a structure [43,44]. However, there is a strong connection between the reduction in the environmental impact and the prolongation of the useful life of buildings, which has been quantified by Marsh [44] and is aligned with the principles for a circular economy already mentioned.…”

Section: Definition Of Functional Equivalentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Statistical analysis of the lifespan shows that a value of 50 years is acceptable, which is related to the aptitude of the service of a structure [43,44]. However, there is a strong connection between the reduction in the environmental impact and the prolongation of the useful life of buildings, which has been quantified by Marsh [44] and is aligned with the principles for a circular economy already mentioned. In this sense, and supporting the proposed thesis, the rehabilitation of buildings through passive standards is one of the measures that most effectively contributes to the reduction of emissions.…”

Section: Definition Of Functional Equivalentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive Sustainability Assessment of Regenerative Actions on the Thermal Envelope of Obsolete Buildings under Climate Change Perspective

Mercader-Moyano

Martín

2020

Sustainability

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Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings in favor of reducing consumer demand and associated emissions is one of the central strategies for achieving global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions reduction targets. Contemplating this activity within the paradigm of long-term sustainability implies, on one hand, that project intervention strategies must be assisted by tools that integrate social, environmental, and economic indicators that must be evaluated from an LCA (life cycle assessment) perspective and, on the other hand, deviations must be considerate of the energy-saving projections that are sought to be achieved through the potential strategies to be implemented. This article develops an LCA methodology whose objective is to evaluate the comprehensive sustainability of existing passive strategies in the local industry through the quantification of environmental and economic indicators throughout different climatic scenarios, which are socially contextualized for a building existing in a Mediterranean region. Part of the results obtained showed a loss of the effectiveness of measurements with an adequate response to the current climatological reality.

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“…India, China, Africa) have much shorter building life expectancies and will be building rapidly over the next 10-20 years. By way of illustration, the average building lifespan in China is estimated to be 25-35 years as opposed to 70-175 years across European countries (Marsh 2017;Sandberg et al 2016;Wang, Zhang, & Wang 2018). In addition, decisions about the types of housing, industrial centres or neighbourhood design result in commitments to particular forms of energy and ways of life that are difficult to shift and, thus, result in a diversity of social, economic, energy, resources, and physical path dependencies.…”

Section: Long Timeframesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate justice and the built environment

Klinsky

Mavrogianni

2020

Buildings and Cities

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HighlightsClimate justice is explained and explored in relation to how decisions about the built environment in the climate context intersect with human wellbeing. Key features in the built environment are identified that impact upon climate injustice. Specific processes, decisions and actions are identified to reduce these injustices and to reduce current gaps both in knowledge and practices. A conceptual and practical context is provided for integrating concerns about climate justice into research and decision-making about the built environment by addressing four underlying questions: 1. What is climate justice and why is it a significant issue? 2. Why is the built environment important in addressing climate injustice, and why is climate justice essential for the built environment community to consider? 3. What processes can be used to reduce inequities and injustices in the built environment? 4. What roles might the academic community, governmental entities, and practitioners in construction, design and real estate, have in facilitating deeper integration of climate justice? A capabilities approach is proposed to systematically uncover and address underlying patterns of injustice. A multi-valent approach involving distributive, procedural and recognition justice can be harnessed to constitute a justice framework. A process of change is needed to: (i) reframe, reposition and extend current built environment research to engage with wider issues of justice, (ii) build and make accessible the evidence base for the identification and mitigation of inequities in climate risk exposures, vulnerabilities, and effective and equitable adaptation pathways and (iii) define responsibilities for different actors.

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Building lifespan: effect on the environmental impact of building components in a Danish perspective

Cited by 37 publications

References 33 publications

Life cycle assessment of a Danish office building designed for disassembly

Life cycle assessment of a Danish office building designed for disassembly

Comprehensive Sustainability Assessment of Regenerative Actions on the Thermal Envelope of Obsolete Buildings under Climate Change Perspective

Climate justice and the built environment

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