Skip to main content

Tag: Lifecycle stage: A5

A-15 Installation of the product into the building – screening and simplified LCA

Written on .

Aspect

A-15 Installation of the product into the building – screening and simplified LCA
Description
 The installation of products into the building needs ancillary materials and processes (e.g. energy). What should be taken into account during the installation stage (e.g. drills, screwdrivers)?

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 building products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions The inclusion of ancillary materials should follow EN 15804/EN 15978. This information should be available in construction product datasets or EPD data that are compliant with EN 15804.The energy and related emissions from the construction tools and installation materials should follow EN 15978. They may be omitted for screening and simplified LCA studies, owing to their minor relevance.
Rules from:
 EN 15978: 8.5 Scenarios for the construction process stage (Modules A4-A5)EN 15804:

6.2.3. A4–A5, Construction process stage, information modules

7.3.2. Construction process stage
Guidance
 General guidance for product LCA studies (e.g. EPD)
According to both EN 15804 and EN 15978, the installation of products into the building, including ancillary materials and their related processes, should be taken into account. The practitioner should comply with EN 15804 as far as possible, assuming the provisions are sufficiently clear. If an aspect is not clearly defined in the standard (e.g. there is so far no list of ancillary materials for the different applications of building products), the practitioner should always document assumptions made concerning the inclusion of ancillary materials.

Specific guidance for product LCA studies (e.g. EPD)
For cradle-to-grave product LCA, the practitioner needs to combine a cradle-to-gate LCA with some LCA data for ancillary materials implemented in the construction stage in order to fulfil the functional unit. For example, for cradle-to-grave EPD of a glued laminated timber beam in a building, the functional unit can be as follows: the function ‘support the structural elements from the roof for 100 years’ is defined for 1 ml of a beam of 5 m for a cross-section of 0.3 × 0.1 m. The ancillary materials in this case might be galvanized steel bolts, for example. The impacts related to their manufacture and transport to the site should be allocated to Module A5, as they are not primary raw materials in the wooden beam manufacturing process.

However, in other cases, e.g. ready-mixed concrete assembled on site with reinforcing steel, as these two raw materials are not ancillary materials the impacts of their manufacture and transport to the site should be allocated to Modules A3 and A4 respectively.

For other specific cases it may be tricky. For example, for ceramic tiles that need on-site mortar to be installed in the building, the allocation of the impacts of the mortar may be not clear, as it depends on the status of the mortar: is it a raw material next to the ceramic tiles (impact allocated to Modules A1–A3) or only an ancillary product (impact allocated only to Module A5)?

The more the environmental impacts of ancillary materials (related to manufacturing and transport to the site) are allocated to Module A5, the more relative impact this life cycle stage will have compared with production and end-of-life. It should be emphasized that the ancillary materials’ upstream impacts are not direct impact of a construction site.

In this context, the results for Module A5 should be interpreted accordingly.

Specific guidance for building LCA studies

If relevant for the goal of the study, use ratios (generic data) for screening and simplified LCA, though the ancillary materials may be omitted, because of their minor relevance.

A-16 Installation of the product into the building – complete LCA

Written on .

Aspect

A-16 Installation of the product into the building – complete LCA
Description
 The installation of products into the building needs ancillary materials and processes (e.g. energy). What should be taken into account during the installation stage (e.g. drills, screwdrivers)?

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 building products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions The inclusion of ancillary materials should follow EN 15804/EN 15978.The energy and related emissions from the construction tools and installation of ancillary materials should follow EN 15978.They should be included for complete LCA studies, and particularly for cradle-to-grave product LCA.
Rules from:
 EN 15978: 

8.5 Scenarios for the construction process stage (Modules A4-A5)

EN 15804: 

6.2.3. A4–A5, Construction process stage, information modules

7.3.2. Construction process stage
Guidance
 General guidance for product LCA studies (e.g. EPD)

According to both EN 15804 and EN 15978, the installation of products into the building, including ancillary materials and their related processes, should be taken into account. The practitioner should comply with EN 15804 as far as possible, assuming the provisions are sufficiently clear. If an aspect is not clearly defined in the standard (e.g. there is so far no list of ancillary materials for the different applications of building products), the practitioner should always document assumptions made concerning the inclusion of ancillary materials.

 

Specific guidance for product LCA studies (e.g. EPD)

For cradle-to-grave product LCA, the practitioner needs to combine a cradle-to-gate LCA with some LCA data for ancillary materials implemented in the construction stage in order to fulfil the functional unit. For example, for cradle-to-grave EPD of a glued laminated timber beam in a building, the functional unit can be as follows: the function ‘support the structural elements from the roof for 100 years’ is defined for 1 ml of a beam of 5 m for a cross-section of 0.3 × 0.1 m. The ancillary materials in this case might be galvanized steel bolts, for example. The impacts related to their manufacture and transport to the site should be allocated to Module A5, as they are not primary raw materials in the wooden beam manufacturing process.

However, in other cases, e.g. ready-mixed concrete assembled on site with reinforcing steel, as these two raw materials are not ancillary materials the impacts of their manufacture and transport to the site should be allocated to Modules A3 and A4 respectively.

For other specific cases it may be tricky. For example, for ceramic tiles that need on-site mortar to be installed in the building, the allocation of the impacts of the mortar may be not clear, as it depends on the status of the mortar: is it a raw material next to the ceramic tiles (impact allocated to Modules A1–A3) or only an ancillary product (impact allocated only to Module A5)?

The more the environmental impacts of ancillary materials (related to manufacturing and transport to the site) are allocated to Module A5, the more relative impact this life cycle stage will have compared with production and end-of-life. It should be emphasized that the ancillary materials’ upstream impacts are not direct impact of a construction site.

In this context, the results for Module A5 should be interpreted accordingly.

Specific guidance for building LCA studies

For complete LCA the practitioner should use specific data for the ancillary materials, and for the processes or construction tools (which can be defined with stakeholders) . For most construction projects, this aspect is likely to fall under cut-off-rules.

A-17 Accounting of on-site capital goods (e.g. construction ma-chinery, bungalows…)

Written on .

Aspect A-17 Accounting of on-site capital goods (e.g. construction machinery, bungalows…)
Description
 Various capital goods can be found on a construction site, such as construction machinery (skid-steer loaders, bulldozers), cranes, and the bungalows for the workers. These capital goods are generally used by a construction company on different construction projects. In this context, it is important to assess the depreciation of capital goods, and allocate the impacts of their manufacture to a certain amount for one construction site. Should capital goods be included in complete LCA studies? Is there necessarily a deviation from EN 15978?

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 building products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions The capital goods may be included in complete LCA if they are relevant for the goal and scope of the study (e.g. a construction company might have more interest than a building designer in this aspect).The capital goods may be taken into account in screening and simplified LCA using default values, or they may be optional, owing to the lack of data.
Rules from:
 EN 15978: 
7.4.3.3 Boundary of the on-site processes (Module A5)
9.4.3 Criteria for the exclusion of inputs and outputs
Guidance
 The practitioner should use detailed calculation based on specific data for complete LCA, and refer to the cut-off rules guidance, if relevant.The capital goods may be assessed in screening and simplified LCA by using default values. LCA data can be calculated using LCA data for building products (as a proxy) if no more precise data are available on complete capital goods (e.g. a crane is composed of x% of steel, y%…, etc.) This aspect may be neglected for most construction projects, owing to its minor relevance.

A-18 Water and energy demand – screening and simplified LCA

Written on .

Aspect

A-18 Water and energy demand – screening and simplified LCA
Description
 This aspect concerns the water and energy demand on the construction site. Energy and water are consumed both for the construction of the building and for the workers’ accommodation.

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 building products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions Water and energy consumption on the construction site should be considered in accordance with the corresponding study type. It may be included in the context of a screening or simplified LCA.
Rules from:
 EN 15978: 8.5 Scenarios for the construction process stage (Modules A4-A5) 
Guidance
 The practitioner should use default values (ratios) for screening and simplified LCA. Such data can be defined with stakeholders. Practitioners should refer to the guidance on cut-off rules, if relevant.

A-19 Water and energy demand during construction – complete LCA

Written on .

Aspect

A-19 Water and energy demand during construction – complete LCA
Description
 This aspect concerns the water and energy demand on the construction site. Energy and water are consumed both for the construction of the building and for the workers’ accommodation.

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 building products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions The water and energy demand may be included in complete LCA if it is relevant for the goal and scope of the study (e.g. a construction company might have more interest than a building designer in this aspect).Water and energy consumption on the construction site should be considered for a complete LCA, if it does not fall under the cut-off rules.
Rules from:
 EN 15978: 8.5 Scenarios for the construction process stage (Modules A4-A5)

EN 15804: 

6.3.4.3 Construction stage
Guidance
 The practitioner should use detailed calculations based on the amount of water and energy consumption from meter readings on site. These experimental data should be linked to LCA data covering upstream (potabilization) and downstream (waste water treatment) processes for the water-related impacts, and upstream processes for the energy consumption (supply) for complete LCA. Refer to the cut-off rules guidance if relevant.

A-20 Construction wastes – screening and simplified LCA

Written on .

Aspect

A-20 Construction wastes –  screening and simplified LCA
Description
 The construction of a building generates considerable cutting waste. Should such waste be considered in the context of a screening or 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 building products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions Construction waste may be included in a screening or simplified LCA if it is relevant for the goal and scope of the study (e.g. a construction company might have more interest than a building designer in this aspect).
Rules from:
 EN 15978: 
8.5 Scenarios for the construction process stage (Modules A4-A5)

EN 15804: 
6.2.3 A4-A5, Construction process stage, information modules
Guidance
 In some EPDs, waste during installation into the building may be documented. The practitioner should use default values (e.g. ratios) for screening and simplified LCA. This information might be a default loss of product on site per type of product, or else the practitioner might use a global average, e.g. 5%, to see whether this aspect is significant in the final LCA results. If a construction waste is included, the impact of production related to the loss of product should be quantified within Module A5.WRAP has consulted with UK industry and has provided baseline and good practice wastage rates for most construction material types, which could be used in the absence of other data.

A-21 Construction wastes – complete LCA

Written on .

Aspect

A-21 Construction wastes – complete LCA
Description
 The construction of a building generates considerable cutting waste. Should such waste 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 building products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions Construction waste should be included in a complete LCA if it is relevant for the goal and scope of the study, provided it does not fall under cut-off-rules (e.g. a construction company might have more interest than a building designer in this aspect).
Rules from:
 EN 15978: 8.5 Scenarios for the construction process stage (Modules A4-A5)

EN 15804: 

6.2.3 A4-A5, Construction process stage, information modules
Guidance
 Site wastage may be considerable, and has impacts both from manufacture and transport of the material and from transport and waste processing and disposal of the wastes.In some EPDs, wastes during installation into the building may be documented (e.g. in the current French EPDs, loss of product on site is reported). The practitioner should use detailed calculations for complete LCA. If a construction waste is included, the impact of production related to the loss of product should be quantified within he Module A5. Similarly, the scenario for the type of waste disposal and wastage rate used should be considered relative to the building situation.WRAP has consulted with UK industry, and has provided baseline and good practice wastage rates for most construction material types, which could be used in the absence of other data.

A-22 Prefabrication of building products – screening and simplified LCA

Written on .

Aspect

A-22 Prefabrication of building products – screening and simplified LCA
Description
 This aspect refers to the off-site construction assembly of prefabricated products such as reinforced concrete. Should the off-site construction be considered in the context of a screening or 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 building products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions Prefabrication should be considered in the context of a screening or simplified LCA. The manufacture of building products should be included in Modules A1–A3, and their transport in Module A4. Only the impacts of their installation (waste, machinery etc.) are included in Module A5, based on cut-off rules.
Rules from:
 EN 15978: 8.5 Scenarios for the construction process stage (Modules A4-A5)
Guidance
 The practitioner should use default values (e.g. based on generic data or ratios) for screening or simplified LCA. Such data can be defined with stakeholders.

A-23 Prefabrication of building products – complete LCA

Written on .

Aspect

A-23 Prefabrication of building products – complete LCA
Description
 This aspect refers to the off-site construction assembly of prefabricated product such as reinforced concrete. Should the off-site construction be included 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 building products screening LCA simplified LCA complete LCA
Provisions Preprocessing should be considered in the context of a complete LCA. The manufacture of prefabricated building products should be included in Modules A1–A3, and their transport in Module A4. The impacts related to their installation (waste, machinery etc.) should be included in Module A5.
Rules from:
 EN 15978: 8.5 Scenarios for the construction process stage (Modules A4-A5)
Guidance
 The practitioner should use detailed calculation for a complete LCA, based on specific data (e.g. EPD information for Module A5).