IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i20p13228-d942604.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Earth Construction: A Systematic Literature Review Considering Five Construction Techniques

Author

Listed:
  • Deborah Arduin

    (Geobiotec Research Unit, Geosciences Department, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal)

  • Lucas Rosse Caldas

    (Architecture Graduate Program (PROARQ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21941-901, Brazil)

  • Rayane de Lima Moura Paiva

    (Civil Engineering Program—COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21941-972, Brazil)

  • Fernando Rocha

    (Geobiotec Research Unit, Geosciences Department, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal)

Abstract

In the past decade, there has been an increase in the environmental performance assessment in earth construction through the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. A Systematic Literature Review verified LCA methodology trends of five earth construction techniques from 2016 to April 2022, resulting in 27 studies. The results have been analyzed through qualitative thematic analysis, considering LCA methodology. Considering embodied carbon (GWP) and embodied energy, transportation and binder content were the main factors that influenced environmental performance. Hence, earth-based constructions exhibit better results in different impact categories than conventional materials. Environmental guidelines and technical features that were presented in the LCA studies are discussed for Adobe, Cob, Rammed Earth (RE), Compressed Earth Block (CEB), and Light Straw Clay (LSC). This study presents environmental benchmarks at the unit, wall, and building scales aiming to encourage LCA methodology applied to earth construction techniques and fostering the discussion of earth construction sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Deborah Arduin & Lucas Rosse Caldas & Rayane de Lima Moura Paiva & Fernando Rocha, 2022. "Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Earth Construction: A Systematic Literature Review Considering Five Construction Techniques," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-30, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:20:p:13228-:d:942604
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/20/13228/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/20/13228/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Youngman Seol & Seungjoo Lee & Jong-Young Lee & Jung-Geun Han & Gigwon Hong, 2021. "Excavation Method Determination of Earth-Retaining Wall for Sustainable Environment and Economy: Life Cycle Assessment Based on Construction Cases in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Ben-Alon, L. & Loftness, V. & Harries, K.A. & Cochran Hameen, E., 2021. "Life cycle assessment (LCA) of natural vs conventional building assemblies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    3. Camilla Mileto & Fernando Vegas & Carmen Llatas & Bernardette Soust-Verdaguer, 2021. "A Sustainable Approach for the Refurbishment Process of Vernacular Heritage: The Sesga House Case Study (Valencia, Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-18, August.
    4. Christoforou, Elias A. & Fokaides, Paris A., 2016. "Life cycle assessment (LCA) of olive husk torrefaction," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 257-266.
    5. Tao Zhang & Qi Ding & Qinian Hu & Bin Liu & Weijun Gao & Dian Zhou & Hiroatsu Fukuda, 2020. "Towards Rural Revitalization Strategy for Housing in Gully Regions of the Loess Plateau: Environmental Considerations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-27, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Stefania De Gregorio & Giulia Di Domenico & Pierluigi De Berardinis, 2023. "Sustainable Architecture in Developing Countries: Harvest Map of the Lusaka Territory, Zambia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-17, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nabavi-Pelesaraei, Ashkan & Azadi, Hossein & Van Passel, Steven & Saber, Zahra & Hosseini-Fashami, Fatemeh & Mostashari-Rad, Fatemeh & Ghasemi-Mobtaker, Hassan, 2021. "Prospects of solar systems in production chain of sunflower oil using cold press method with concentrating energy and life cycle assessment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    2. Beatriz Ruiz-Carrasco & Lázuli Fernández-Lobato & Yaiza López-Sánchez & David Vera, 2023. "Life Cycle Assessment of Olive Oil Production in Turkey, a Territory with an Intensive Production Project," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-23, June.
    3. Sunkuk Kim, 2021. "Technology and Management for Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-3, August.
    4. Zhang, Congyu & Yang, Wu & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Ho, Shih-Hsin & Pétrissans, Anelie & Pétrissans, Mathieu, 2022. "Effect of torrefaction on the structure and reactivity of rice straw as well as life cycle assessment of torrefaction process," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    5. Alina Galimshina & Maliki Moustapha & Alexander Hollberg & Sébastien Lasvaux & Bruno Sudret & Guillaume Habert, 2024. "Strategies for robust renovation of residential buildings in Switzerland," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Chen, Ying-Chu & Jhou, Sih-Yu, 2020. "Integrating spent coffee grounds and silver skin as biofuels using torrefaction," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 275-283.
    7. Gianmarco Fajilla & Emiliano Borri & Marilena De Simone & Luisa F. Cabeza & Luís Bragança, 2021. "Effect of Climate Change and Occupant Behaviour on the Environmental Impact of the Heating and Cooling Systems of a Real Apartment. A Parametric Study through Life Cycle Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-21, December.
    8. Francesco Asdrubali & Gianluca Grazieschi & Marta Roncone & Francesca Thiebat & Corrado Carbonaro, 2023. "Sustainability of Building Materials: Embodied Energy and Embodied Carbon of Masonry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-28, February.
    9. Parascanu, M.M. & Puig Gamero, M. & Sánchez, P. & Soreanu, G. & Valverde, J.L. & Sanchez-Silva, L., 2018. "Life cycle assessment of olive pomace valorisation through pyrolysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 589-601.
    10. Zhang, Congyu & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Ho, Shih-Hsin, 2022. "Elemental loss, enrichment, transformation and life cycle assessment of torrefied corncob," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    11. Ubando, Aristotle T. & Rivera, Diana Rose T. & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Culaba, Alvin B., 2020. "Life cycle assessment of torrefied microalgal biomass using torrefaction severity index with the consideration of up-scaling production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1113-1124.
    12. Giada Giuffrida & Letizia Dipasquale & Riccardo Maria Pulselli & Rosa Caponetto, 2024. "Compared Environmental Lifecycle Performances of Earth-Based Walls to Drive Building Envelope Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-22, February.
    13. Nicolás M. Clauser & Giselle González & Carolina M. Mendieta & Julia Kruyeniski & María C. Area & María E. Vallejos, 2021. "Biomass Waste as Sustainable Raw Material for Energy and Fuels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-21, January.
    14. Minghao Zhang & Jingyao Zhang & Qian Liu & Tingshen Li & Jian Wang, 2022. "Research on the Strategies of Living Conservation and Cultural Inheritance of Vernacular Dwellings—Taking Five Vernacular Dwellings in China’s Northern Jiangsu as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-23, September.
    15. Zeynep Cigdem Uysal Urey, 2023. "Creation of a New Vernacular Architecture and the Attainment of Sustainability: The Case of Akyaka Town Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-24, February.
    16. Jan Den Boer & Arkadiusz Dyjakon & Emilia Den Boer & Daniel García-Galindo & Techane Bosona & Girma Gebresenbet, 2020. "Life-Cycle Assessment of the Use of Peach Pruning Residues for Electricity Generation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, May.
    17. Jeeban Poudel & Sujeeta Karki & Sea Cheon Oh, 2018. "Valorization of Waste Wood as a Solid Fuel by Torrefaction," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-10, June.
    18. Farzaneh Karimi & Nima Valibeig & Gholamhossein Memarian & Aliakbar Kamari, 2022. "Sustainability Rating Systems for Historic Buildings: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-22, September.
    19. Singh, Rishikesh kumar & Sarkar, Arnab & Chakraborty, Jyoti Prasad, 2019. "Effect of torrefaction on the physicochemical properties of pigeon pea stalk (Cajanus cajan) and estimation of kinetic parameters," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 805-819.
    20. Carlos Eduardo Rincón & Jorge Augusto Montoya & Hector F. Archila, 2023. "Bamboo Construction Inspired by Vernacular Techniques for Reducing Carbon Footprint: A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-15, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:20:p:13228-:d:942604. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.