Page 103 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

Life Cycle Assessment: Principles, Practice and Prospects
90
on scale, it can contribute importantly in assessing the total environmental impacts of dif-
ferent design options. This is important in an era where there is likely to be a range of novel
so-called solutions to climate change at a range of urban scales, from distributed energy and
water systems to higher density urban forms (which have higher embodied energy and gen-
erally use different construction materials and techniques).
5. The development of LCA information on building materials on an assemblage basis is a rapidly
developing picture, placing Australia at the forefront of research in this area. Moreover, the
lessons from the Dutch experience are useful in informing the requirements and needs of a
system to support the wider uptake of LCA-based building materials information.
Finally, as practices for making additions to the built environment become more sustaina-
ble, increasing attention is being paid to the greatest part of the problem: the existing stock. This
invariably represents a range of forms built over at least the last 150 years with ‘bursts’ of addi-
tions in the late 19th century and in the inter-war (1930s) and post-Second World War (1950s)
periods. Arguably, much of this stock requires retro-fitting and renovating urgently to improve
its environmental performance. There is a need to apply LCA to assist in deciding when and
how to update buildings appropriately for optimum environmental outcomes. Again, this issue
mainly concerns a balance of embodied and operational energy, but also encompasses obsoles-
cence, durability, use-efficiency and related issues that apply to new buildings.

7.4 References
Anderson JDS (2002) The Green Guide to Specification. 3rd edn. Blackwell Science.
Anink D and Mak J (1993) Manual Sustuinable Heuse Building (Handleiding Duurzame
Woningbouw). Steering Group for Experiments in Residential Building (SEV): Rotterdam
(in Dutch).
Bijen JM and Schuurmans A (1994) MBB-Project Environmental Measures in Construction
(MBB-Project Milieumaten in de Bouw). Milieuberaad Bouw (MBB), Sittard (in Dutch).
Bossink BAG (2002) A Dutch public-private strategy for innovation in sustainable construc-
tion. Construction Management and Economics 20(7), 633–642.
Building Innovation and Construction Technology (1999) ‘Theory In To Facts’ section,
Number 5 February 1999. Retrieved 6 February 2001 from <http://www.dbce.csiro.au/
inno-web/0299/greenolympics.htm>.
DEWR (2007) Scoping Study to Investigate Measures for Improving the Environmental
Sustainability of Building Materials. DEWR.
DPWS (1998) NSW Department of Public Works and Services: Stadium Australia Life Cycle
Assessment (Inventory Results). Conducted for Multiplex Constructions (NSW) by DPWS
Environmental and Energy Services and ERM Mitchell McCotter.
Girardet H (2004) Cities People Planet. Wiley-Academy, Chichester.
Haas M (1994) Environmental Classijìcation of Building Materials (Milieuclassificatie
Bouwmaterialen). Dutch Institute for Biological and Ecological Construction (NIBE):
Bussum (in Dutch).
Hes D (2003) Unpublished paper on Stadium Australia for Greening the Building Life Cycle,
Life Cycle Assessment Tools in Building and Construction. Course by Centre for Design,
RMIT University, Melbourne.
Horne RE and Hayles C (2008) Towards global benchmarking for sustainable homes: An inter-
national comparison of the energy performance of housing. Journal of Housing and the
Built Environment 23, 119–130.

100804•Life Cycle Assessment 5pp.indd 90 17/02/09 12:46:19 PM