Abstract
The objective of the research was to create improved
understanding of the significance of diverse factors for
the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of buildings.
The specific focus of the study was on the assessment of
the significance of building materials and embodied
carbon. The scope of the study covers multi-storey
residential buildings in Finland. This research was based
on a literature survey and supported by a parametric case
study. The parametric study assessed the
building-material-related GHG emissions relative to total
GHG emissions and the possible range of variation. The
research assesses the minimum and maximum GHG emissions
for production of buildings with similar spaces, to
reveal the likely range of variation for the emissions.
The calculations for the 'minimum' and 'maximum'
scenarios assume a similar purpose of use, occupancy and
spaces in the building, while the production methods,
materials, site conditions and location are varied. The
research also assesses the relative importance of various
building components and other calculation parameters in
terms of GHGs. Total material-related GHG emissions were
compared with the GHG emissions caused by the operation
of the building, at three distinct levels of energy
performance. In addition, the material- and
operation-related GHG emissions were compared with the
location-related GHG emissions arising from people's
mobility
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 317-330 |
Journal | International Journal of Sustainable Engineering |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 4-5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- buildings
- GHG emissions
- sustainable building
- sustainable construction
- sustainable materials
- life-cycle assesment