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Author: Anh-Migrate

C-02 Demolition/deconstruction – complete LCA

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Aspect C-02 Demolition/deconstruction – complete LCA
Description
 The deconstruction and demolition stage involves quantification of the impact related to the end of life of the constructed system. For example, if it is a reinforced concrete building, deconstruction activity will consist mainly in separating the reinforcing steel from the concrete. During this operation, energy is consumed, and pollutants are emitted to the air. In this context, should the demolition and deconstruction stage be considered in the context of a complete LCA?

related study objective

 ☒ stand-alone LCA ☒ comparative assertion

related study phase

 ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
goal and scope definition inventory analysis (LCI) impact assessment (LCIA) interpretation reporting

relevant for
new buildings existing buildings construction products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions The demolition and deconstruction aspects should be included for a complete LCA. Generic or specific data should be taken from LCA databases or other relevant sources if available, unless they fall under cut-off rules.
Rules from:
 EN 15978:
8.7.2 Scenarios for deconstruction – Module C1

EN 15804:
6.2.6 C1-C4 End-of-life stage information modules
Guidance
 The practitioner should use detailed calculation (based on specific data) for a complete LCA. The energy, materials and related emissions of these processes should be included. However, very few LCA data are currently available in every national context. One option is to use existing generic LCA data on the impact of demolition and the deconstruction process (e.g. the impact of sorting the reinforcing steel from the concrete at the end of life of the building). Such generic LCA data can be found e.g. in the Ecoinvent database or in the Greenest Building, which provides indicative demolition energies for various building types (see exhibit 2). The practitioner should be aware that the data on demolition process may not be fully adapted to the context. Another option is to define generic data with stakeholders (collection of specific data). For most construction projects this aspect is likely to fall under the cut-off rules, and may be omitted.

8.3 Module C2

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No specific aspects are given for Module C2 for buildings, as it is likely to be predefined in building LCA studies, e.g. by the use of EoL generic processes and cradle-to-grave EPD, which have already taken this aspect into account.

Please refer to the two following aspects of the EeBGuide – Part A: PRODUCTS guidance document for further information, as well as the EN 15978 standard.

C-05 Transport of wastes to landfill, incineration and recycling facilities – screening and simplified LCA

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Aspect C-05 Transport of wastes to landfill, incineration and recycling facilities – screening and simplified LCA
Description
 The transportation distances are likely to be different, depending on the EoL scenarios. For example, whereas a landfill facility is likely to be found in every city, a recycling plant may be far away as, for example, only one exists in a country exists.In this context, how should representative distances according to different waste EoL routes be defined for screening and simplified LCA?

related study objective

 ☒ stand-alone LCA ☒ comparative assertion

related study phase

 ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
goal and scope definition inventory analysis (LCI) impact assessment (LCIA) interpretation reporting

relevant for
new buildings existing buildings construction products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions The transport of wastes or recycled products to EoL facilities remains optional for screening and simplified LCA, owing to the assumed minor relevance.This aspect is likely to be predefined, for example in generic LCA data for EoL processes or in each national EPD programme, and may be adopted within a given LCA study.
Rules from:

EN 15804

 

 6.3.4.6 End-of-life stage
6.3.8 Developing product scenarios
7.3 Scenarios and additional technical information
7.3.4 End of life


Guidance
 For recycling and disposal routes, the distances will vary, depending on each national context. Transport distances for different waste types may also vary according to the number of treatment sites. For example, hazardous waste may have the longest transport distance, owing to the limited number of sites, whereas inert waste may have the shortest. (http://www.sepa.org.uk/waste/waste_infrastructure_maps.aspx or http://www.landfill-site.com/html/how_many_landfills.php) National waste management plans or waste infrastructure maps may help in identifying the locations of waste management sites.Data may be currently available for transport of waste between the demolition site and sorting plant: e.g. for the French context see the report from [ADEME 2003]. For example, current practice in generic databases or EPD programmes may take into account:- between 10 and 30 km for inert and non-hazardous wastes, as well as for incineration with energy recovery;- around 100 km for hazardous wastes.

For recycled products sent to a recycling facility it is likely that the distance will be higher because, to date, the number of recycling facilities is still low, leading to higher distances than for landfill facilities. As an average value, 250 km for trucks can be assumed. This figure may be revised if more accurate data are available in a national context, and if the EoL transport is found to be significant in the final results.

 

C-06 Transport of wastes to landfill, incineration and recycling facilities – complete LCA

Written on .

Aspect C-06 Transport of wastes to landfill, incineration and recycling facilities – complete LCA
Description
 The transportation distances are likely to be different, depending on the EoL scenarios. For example, whereas a landfill facility is likely to be found in every city, a recycling plant may be far away as, for example, only one exists in a country exists.In this context, how should representative distances according to different waste EoL routes be defined for complete LCA?

related study objective

 ☒ stand-alone LCA ☒ comparative assertion

related study phase

 ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
goal and scope definition inventory analysis (LCI) impact assessment (LCIA) interpretation reporting

relevant for
new buildings existing buildings construction products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions The transport of wastes or recycled products to EoL facilities should be included for complete LCA, even if maybe of assumed minor relevance.This aspect is likely to be predefined, for example in generic LCA data for EoL processes or in each national EPD programme, and may be adopted within a given LCA study.
Rules from:

EN 15804

 

 6.3.4.6 End-of-life stage
6.3.8 Developing product scenarios
7.3 Scenarios and additional technical information
7.3.4 End of life


Guidance
 For recycling and disposal routes, the distances will vary, depending on each national context [SBA 2012]. Transport distances for different waste types may also vary according to the number of treatment sites. For example, hazardous waste may have the longest transport distance, owing to the limited number of sites, whereas inert waste may have the shortest (http://www.sepa.org.uk/waste/waste_infrastructure_maps.aspx or http://www.landfill-site.com/html/how_many_landfills.php). National waste management plans or waste infrastructure maps may help in identifying the locations of waste management sites.Data may be currently available for transport of waste between the demolition site and sorting plant: e.g. for the French context see the report from [ADEME 2003]. For example, current practice in generic databases or EPD programmes may take into account:- between 10 and 30 km for inert and non-hazardous wastes, as well as for incineration with energy recovery;- around 100 km for hazardous wastes.For recycled products sent to a recycling facility it is likely that the distance will be higher because, to date, the number of recycling facilities is still low, leading to higher distances than for landfill facilities. As an average value, 250 km for trucks can be assumed. This figure may be revised if more accurate data are available in a national context, and if the EoL transport is found to be significant in the final results.

 

8.4 Module C3

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No specific aspects are given for Module C3 for buildings, as it is likely to be predefined in building LCA studies e.g. by the use of EoL generic processes and cradle-to-grave EPD, which have already taken this aspect into account, as well as the EN 15978 standard

Please refer to the following aspect of the EeBGuide – Part A: PRODUCTS guidance document for further information, as well as the EN 15978 standard.

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C-07 Waste treatment vs recycling and recovery process

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Aspect C-07 Waste treatment vs recycling and recovery process
Description
 How should the waste treatment and recycling/reuse/energy recovery of building materials be accounted for (e.g. different recycling practices, economic feasibility)?

related study objective

 ☒ stand-alone LCA ☒ comparative assertion

related study phase

 ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
goal and scope definition inventory analysis (LCI) impact assessment (LCIA) interpretation reporting

relevant for
new buildings existing buildings construction products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions The provisions in EN 15804 should be referred to.Scenarios should then be developed, based on each national context. For example, for the French context [ADEME 2010] can be referred to for estimates of the amounts of sorted and recycled materials.This aspect is likely to be predefined in every national EPD programme, and may be adopted within a given LCA study.
Rules from:

EN 15804

 

 6.3.4.6 End-of-life stage
6.3.8 Developing product scenarios
7.3 Scenarios and additional technical information
7.3.4 End of life
Guidance
 Module C3 provides information on waste treatment processes until the product reaches the end-of-waste state or is disposed of (included in C4). In theory, processes before the end-of-waste state is reached are waste treatment processes, and processes after the end-of-waste state is reached are recycling or recovery processes. When deciding whether a process should be included in C3 or be considered as a recycling process within Module D. the focus should be less on the terminology for the process and more on whether the waste has reached the end-of-waste state. The default scenario for the end-of-life stage C3 should be based on current national practice for demolition material. However, alternative scenarios can be given, if a range of waste treatment options is available.National schemes may provide default scenarios and models for Module C3 for various materials, based on current practice.The end-of-waste state is defined in EN 15804 6.3.4.5. All waste treatment process impacts until the end-of-waste state are reached should be included in Module C3, excluding demolition (considered in C1) and transport to waste treatment or disposal (considered in C2).

The Loads and benefits of recycling, recovery and reuse beyond the system boundary are recorded in Module D.

Energy recovered by energy recovery processes, e.g. incineration with an efficiency greater than 60%, is recorded in Module D (as the recovery process impacts and avoided impacts of conventional generation), as the material must have reached the end-of-waste state to be considered for energy recovery (EN 15804 6.3.4.5 Note 2).

Recovery processes with efficiencies of less than 60% cannot be considered as energy recovery, and must be considered as waste management processes, e.g. as incineration (Module C4).

Incineration of demolition materials that have not reached the end-of-waste state must also be considered within Module C4, irrespective of the efficiency of incineration (EN 15804 6.3.4.5 Note 2). In both instances, benefits from these C3 processes beyond the system boundary can be recorded in Module D.