Page 100 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

Life cycle assessment: applications in the built environment

s basing information on scientific life cycle data rather than qualitative estimates 87
s incorporating links and support for the Australian National Life Cycle Inventory
s considering the whole-of-life performance, including end-of-life disposal or reuse
s examining environmental performance based on the application – including where and
how building products are used in the building (e.g. wall, floor or roof)
s bringing together key tool-developing organisations to jointly develop and implement a
common methodology, offering for the first time a single reporting format for materials
performance assessment
s supporting manufacturers, suppliers and design teams in responding pro-actively to
growing interest in the environmental performance of building products and materials.
As the first point above indicates, in providing readily accessible LCA information produced
using a standard protocol and in a standard, scorecard format, BAMS provides readily compa-
rable data on building-assemblage environmental performance for design teams wishing to
incorporate life cycle performance aspects of building elements into their early decision-mak-
ing. The development of standard criteria for assessing product sustainability provides both a
common basis and transparency for both manufacturers and specifiers. This in turn provides
signals for future innovation and investment. Hitherto, invariably, only generic information in
the form of generalised LCA data and ESD principles has been available. BAMS provides the
ability to quantify the benefits of improved approaches at all stages in the supply chain, and for
project design teams to make evaluations on a project-specific basis.
BAMS is an ongoing research and development initiative. The initial project, completed in
2008, provided a methodological framework and scoring of several generic (non-branded
product) assemblies. Potential further developments include the application of accreditation
and verification systems, refinement of LCA data, and expansion of generic assemblies. There
is also potential for incorporating brand-specific data through the expansion of BAMS datasets,
and integration with the National Life Cycle Inventory.

7.2.4 Case study 4: built environment LCA – the Dutch experience
There is no regulation, existing or planned, to mandate application of LCA in Australian
buildings. In considering potential future mechanisms, it is useful to consider the Dutch
experience for comparative purposes, where more regulation has occurred. The background
drivers in the Netherlands were growing concerns for environmental protection from gov-
ernment and some manufacturers in the building industry in the 1980s and 1990s. Of signifi-
cance was the 1989 formation of MBB (Milieuberaad Bouw, an environmental ‘think tank’
for the building industry). Following this, government and the building industry worked
together to develop environmental policies for the building sector. A successful project led to
increased reuse and recycling of construction and demolition waste from 60% in 1990 to 90%
in 2000.
In 1995 the MBB group suggested the consistent application of LCA in the building industry,
by which time decision-makers at council level were often using materials preference lists
developed using qualitative criteria based on notions of environmental preferability (e.g. no
tropical hardwood, no PVC, ‘recyclable’, ‘recycled content’). Bossink (2002) summarised con-
temporary Dutch practice around the turn of the millennium:
Most of the methodologies are being developed at universities and at research
institutes related to universities (Bijen and Schuurmans 1994) and used by
consultants in the construction industry to develop practical lists with
environmentally friendly design options (Anink and Mak 1993; Haas 1994;
Stofberg 1995; Stofberg et al. 1996). Frequently, these lists are used in
demonstration projects.

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