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A Life-Cycle Approach to Investigate the Potential of Novel Biobased Construction Materials toward a Circular Built Environment

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  • Naomi Keena

    (Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C2, Canada
    Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (Yale CEA), Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

  • Marco Raugei

    (School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, Oxford Brookes University, Wheatley, Oxford OX33 1HX, UK
    Center for Life Cycle Assessment, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA)

  • Mae-ling Lokko

    (Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (Yale CEA), Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

  • Mohamed Aly Etman

    (Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (Yale CEA), Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

  • Vicki Achnani

    (Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (Yale CEA), Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

  • Barbara K. Reck

    (Center for Industrial Ecology, Yale School of the Environment, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

  • Anna Dyson

    (Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (Yale CEA), Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

Abstract

Conventional construction materials which rely on a fossil-based, nonrenewable extractive economy are typically associated with an entrenched linear economic approach to production. Current research indicates the clear interrelationships between the production and use of construction materials and anthropogenic climate change. This paper investigates the potential for emerging high-performance biobased construction materials, produced sustainably and/or using waste byproducts, to enable a more environmentally sustainable approach to the built environment. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is employed to compare three wall assemblies using local biobased materials in Montreal (Canada), Nairobi (Kenya), and Accra (Ghana) vs. a traditional construction using gypsum boards and rockwool insulation. Global warming potential, nonrenewable cumulative energy demand, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, and freshwater consumption (FWC) are considered. Scenarios include options for design for disassembly (DfD), as well as potential future alternatives for electricity supply in Kenya and Ghana. Results indicate that all biobased alternatives have lower (often significantly so) life-cycle impacts per functional unit, compared to the traditional construction. DfD strategies are also shown to result in −10% to −50% impact reductions. The results for both African countries exhibit a large dependence on the electricity source used for manufacturing, with significant potential for future decarbonization, but also some associated tradeoffs in terms of acidification and eutrophication.

Suggested Citation

  • Naomi Keena & Marco Raugei & Mae-ling Lokko & Mohamed Aly Etman & Vicki Achnani & Barbara K. Reck & Anna Dyson, 2022. "A Life-Cycle Approach to Investigate the Potential of Novel Biobased Construction Materials toward a Circular Built Environment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-19, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:19:p:7239-:d:931717
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Aitor Barrio & Fernando Burgoa Francisco & Andrea Leoncini & Lars Wietschel & Andrea Thorenz, 2021. "Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of a Novel Bio-Based Multilayer Panel for Construction Applications," Resources, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-21, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Livia Cosentino & Jorge Fernandes & Ricardo Mateus, 2023. "A Review of Natural Bio-Based Insulation Materials," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-21, June.

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