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Life cycle assessment (LCA) of natural vs conventional building assemblies

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  • Ben-Alon, L.
  • Loftness, V.
  • Harries, K.A.
  • Cochran Hameen, E.

Abstract

Natural earthen and bio-based building materials are critically needed to dramatically reduce energy-intensive and extractive construction practices that are the hallmark of the modern building industry. Building assemblies such as cob, light straw clay and rammed earth were shown to provide an optimal indoor environment for occupant comfort and health. Despite these advantages, natural materials are still not widespread in mainstream construction for two primary reasons: technical data is inadequate to quantify their energy performance in different climates, and environmental measures are missing to perform decision making throughout the design process. This paper presents an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of natural earthen and bio-based materials compared to conventional building materials in 6 climates: hot desert, desert, semi-arid, Mediterranean, temperate, and continental. Results show that, when coupling the embodied and operational environmental impacts, the natural assemblies reduce energy demand by 32–59% in the hot desert climates, 29–55% in semi-arid climates, 46–73% in Mediterranean climates, 34–57% in temperate climates and 27–50% in continental climates as compared to conventional assemblies. The operational impacts are shown to be highly dependent on the thermal properties and climate zone, but in all cases natural assemblies outperform conventional assemblies. In particular, light straw clay and insulated rammed earth are the top performers for all 6 climates. The work presented in this paper contributes critically needed environmental quantifications to catalyze the advancement of healthier and more environmentally sound commitments to ecological construction worldwide.

Suggested Citation

  • Ben-Alon, L. & Loftness, V. & Harries, K.A. & Cochran Hameen, E., 2021. "Life cycle assessment (LCA) of natural vs conventional building assemblies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:144:y:2021:i:c:s1364032121002434
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2021.110951
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martínez-Rocamora, A. & Solís-Guzmán, J. & Marrero, M., 2016. "LCA databases focused on construction materials: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 565-573.
    2. Serrano, Susana & de Gracia, Alvaro & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2016. "Adaptation of rammed earth to modern construction systems: Comparative study of thermal behavior under summer conditions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 180-188.
    3. Niroumand, Hamed & Kibert, Charles J. & Antonio Barcelo, Juan & Saaly, Maryam, 2017. "Contribution of national guidelines in industry growth of earth architecture and earth buildings as a vernacular architecture," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1108-1118.
    4. Shukla, Ashish & Tiwari, G.N. & Sodha, M.S., 2009. "Embodied energy analysis of adobe house," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 755-761.
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    2. Alina Galimshina & Maliki Moustapha & Alexander Hollberg & Sébastien Lasvaux & Bruno Sudret & Guillaume Habert, 2024. "Strategies for robust renovation of residential buildings in Switzerland," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Gianmarco Fajilla & Emiliano Borri & Marilena De Simone & Luisa F. Cabeza & Luís Bragança, 2021. "Effect of Climate Change and Occupant Behaviour on the Environmental Impact of the Heating and Cooling Systems of a Real Apartment. A Parametric Study through Life Cycle Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-21, December.
    4. Deborah Arduin & Lucas Rosse Caldas & Rayane de Lima Moura Paiva & Fernando Rocha, 2022. "Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Earth Construction: A Systematic Literature Review Considering Five Construction Techniques," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-30, October.
    5. Carlos Eduardo Rincón & Jorge Augusto Montoya & Hector F. Archila, 2023. "Bamboo Construction Inspired by Vernacular Techniques for Reducing Carbon Footprint: A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-15, December.

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