Structure and enclosure / Whole Building LCA

April 29, 2023

Nove Sol

LEEDuser Basic Member

1 thumbs up

April 29, 2023

Hello,

I have a question related to "whole building LCA" and related structure and enclosure. In this case, do window and door frames enter into the LCA? is it mandatory to include them in whole building LCA?

Thank you

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Afogreen Build

www.afogreenbuild.com
Green Building Consultant

LEEDuser Premium Member

247 thumbs up

May 9, 2023 - 7:53 pm

Hi Nove,

Yes, window and door frames enter the LCA as structural wall assembly. In LEED guide states
The LCA must cover the complete building envelope and structural elements, including the material components of footings and foundations, structural wall assembly (from cladding to interior finishes), structural floors and ceilings (not including finishes), and roof assemblies.

Best regard – Afogreen Build Team

Nove Sol

LEEDuser Basic Member

1 thumbs up

May 18, 2023 - 7:21 am

Hello AfoGreen Team. Thank you so much for your reply

Nove Sol

LEEDuser Basic Member

1 thumbs up

May 18, 2023 - 7:35 am

I have two questions about whole building LCA. I have a client who wants to evaluate the impact of wood vs concrete building construction.

Just by a quick look at the raw material extraction phase, the impact of concrete construction is higher. On the other hand, by looking at the whole lifecycle assessment from cradle to grave the impact of building with wood might be higher, is this normal? Im keeping the total U value for the building envelope the same in both criteria.
For the selection of materials, there is a big database available in the software (I’m using Oneclick LCA). The CO2 emissions vary considerably… what is the priority for material selection since we have this huge difference?
In case of selecting materials from other country, just for calculations, does it really makes sense, since theoretically it is very difficult to get these materials in the country where the project is located…?