Estimating Construction Project Environmental Effects Using an Input-Output-Based Hybrid Life-Cycle Assessment Model

The design and construction industries have an increasing interest in and responsibility for a building’s environmental effects over its entire life cycle. Quantification of all building phases is important in life-cycle assessments (LCAs), especially for the construction phase, which is often disregarded. This research uses an input-output-based LCA framework to create a more comprehensive estimate of the environmental effects of construction processes. The hybrid LCA model is based on Carnegie Mellon University’s Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) tool and combines a new EIO-LCA “hybrid” interface with updated and reformulated environmental effect vectors for EIO-LCA’s 13 construction sectors. Eight construction project case studies modeled on the input-output (I-O)-based hybrid LCA framework demonstrate the model’s broad applicability; gasoline, particulate matter, and global warming potential effects generally increased across all construction sectors and case studies. The I-O-based...

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