Page 99 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

Life Cycle Assessment: Principles, Practice and Prospects
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In preparing for effective and efficient disassembly, the building should be designed in such
a way as to use a minimum number of different types of connectors while providing a means
of handling components, with realistic tolerances to allow for disassembly activities. Also, per-
manent identification of component types should be included, and a hierarchy of disassembly
should be envisaged, related to the expected life span of components.
Presently there is no systematic reporting or measurement framework for construction
materials in Australia. LCA is sometimes undertaken and some governments have set up
guidelines for ensuring that best practice measures are adopted. However, a systematic and
consistent approach to building materials would be valuable in informing ongoing policy
development and identification of significant opportunities. The need for development and
use of tools allowing easy, accurate and quick quantification of environmental costs and
benefits of design is a key potential mechanism for change towards more sustainable buildings,
when introduced in concert with other (e.g. regulatory, market or pricing) measures. The fol-
lowing factors would all contribute to this endeavour:
s improved information flow
s expanded product stewardship
s environmental labelling
s design standards for occupant productivity and well-being
s measures to facilitate materials recycling and component reprocessing.
LCA constitutes an appropriate technique to deliver on these requirements.

7.2.3 Case study 3: BAMS – a building assemblage LCA design tool
The Building Assemblies and Materials Scorecard (BAMS) is a logical extension of buildings
LCA and macro-level assessment. It involves the development of quick reference information
on the environmental performance of building assemblages. The project is supported by the
Sustainability Fund managed by Sustainability Victoria. Project partners include the Green
Building Council Australia, VicUrban, The City of Port Phillip, Moreland and Manningham
city councils, and the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment.
The main drivers behind the development of BAMS are:
s a growing understanding of environmental impacts of building products and materials,
and identification of the potential for dramatic improvements in Australia and other
areas
s an indication that through green design and construction practices the use of building
materials is potentially an important solution rather than a problem as it has been in
the past.
At its core, BAMS is a standardised method and reporting format. Building upon initiatives
such as the Green Guide to Specification in the UK (Anderson 2002) and Milieu Relevante
Product Informatie (MRPI) (Environmentally Relevant Product Information) in the Nether-
lands (MRPI 2007), BAMS uses LCA to ensure consistent and science-based evaluation of con-
struction options. The potential for this type of decision-support tool spans an array of
applications, including providing a common basis for materials assessment in environmental
building rating-tools. BAMS scorecards could become invaluable to project teams aiming to
optimise total building performance over buildings’ lives, and to suppliers of building products
seeking to differentiate high-performing products and assemblies from others.
BAMS provides a step change in LCA application to buildings in Australia by:
s automating and speeding up project-specific LCA data and assessment information
provision, enabling it to be used through the design phase

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