A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of concrete and steel-prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction struct
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of concrete and steel-prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction structures in Malaysia Ali Tighnavard Balasbaneh 1
&
Mohd Zamri Ramli 2
Received: 23 September 2019 / Accepted: 15 July 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract In recent years, off-site volumetric construction has been promoted as a viable strategy for improving the sustainability of the construction industry. Most prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) structures are composed of either steel or concrete; thus, it is imperative to carry out life cycle assessments (LCAs) for both types of structures. PPVC is a method by which free-standing volumetric modules—complete with finishes for walls, floors, and ceilings—are prefabricated and then transferred and erected on-site. Although many studies have examined these structures, few have combined economic and environmental life cycle analyses, particularly for prefinished volumetric construction buildings. The purpose of this study is to utilize LCA and life cycle cost (LCC) methods to compare the environmental impacts and costs of steel and concrete PPVCs “from cradle to grave.” The results show that steel necessitates higher electricity usage than concrete in all environmental categories, while concrete has a higher emission rate. Steel outperforms concrete by approximately 37% in non-renewable energy measures, 38% in respiratory inorganics, 43% in land occupation, and 40% in mineral extraction. Concrete, on the other hand, performs 54% better on average in terms of measures adopted for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Steel incurs a higher cost in the construction stage but is ultimately the more economical choice, costing 4% less than concrete PPVC owing to the recovery, recycling, and reuse of materials. In general, steel PPVC exhibits better performance, both in terms of cost and environmental factors (excluding GHG emissions). This study endeavors to improve the implementation and general understanding of PPVC. Keywords Prefabricated prefinishedvolumetricconstruction . Environmentalassessment . Lifecycle cost . Lifecycle assessment . Sensitivity analysis
Introduction Many recent studies have focused on reducing the environmental impact of the emissions produced during the construction of buildings (Dong et al. 2015). Prefabricated construction offers many environmental and economic advantages, thus keeping with current sustainability goals. This research Responsible editor: Philippe Loubet * Ali Tighnavard Balasbaneh [email protected] 1
Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Johor, Malaysia
2
Institute of Noise and Vibration, School of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
examines volumetric construction in Malaysia—a practice that recently became mandatory with an advisory from the Building and Construction Authority that requires c
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