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Case Study on Carbon Footprint Life-Cycle Assessment for Construction Delivery Stage in China

Author

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  • Xiaojuan Li

    (College of Transportation and Civil Engineering, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350108, China)

  • Chen Wang

    (Intelligence and Automation in Construction Fujian Province Higher-Educational Engineering Research Centre, College of Civil Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China)

  • Mukhtar A. Kassem

    (Department of Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment & Surveying, University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), Johor Bahru 81310, Malaysia)

  • Shu-Yi Wu

    (Transportation Bureau of Zhangzhou City, Zhangzhou 350108, China)

  • Tai-Bing Wei

    (Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, China)

Abstract

The construction industry’s high energy consumption and carbon emissions significantly burden the ecological environment. Thus, it is necessary to study measures and strategies for emissions reduction during construction for an improved, safe and sustainable environment. Using the life-cycle assessment method, this study aims to investigate construction-building outcomes and their carbon footprint during the construction delivery stage. This work used a compiled database of carbon-emission factors per unit for concrete and mortar with different densities and 16 building-project case studies in Fujian Province to verify the empirical findings. The results show that general civil engineering works produce more carbon emissions than decoration engineering. Furthermore, cement’s average proportion of carbon emissions relative to total carbon emissions is the largest at 30.26%. Our findings also show a strong linear relationship between the total carbon emissions, eaves height, project cost, and building area during the building construction. The findings in this paper promote the conversion of buildings from high-energy consumption to multi-carbon reduction. The concept of this research contributes to the existing knowledge by proposing a carbon-footprint calculation method and establishing the trend of carbon emissions in building construction.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaojuan Li & Chen Wang & Mukhtar A. Kassem & Shu-Yi Wu & Tai-Bing Wei, 2022. "Case Study on Carbon Footprint Life-Cycle Assessment for Construction Delivery Stage in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-25, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:9:p:5180-:d:801813
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Miimu Airaksinen & Pellervo Matilainen, 2011. "A Carbon Footprint of an Office Building," Energies, MDPI, vol. 4(8), pages 1-14, August.
    2. Seungjun Roh & Sungho Tae & Rakhyun Kim & Suroh Park, 2019. "Probabilistic Analysis of Major Construction Materials in the Life Cycle Embodied Environmental Cost of Korean Apartment Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-13, February.
    3. Moutinho, Victor & Moreira, António Carrizo & Silva, Pedro Miguel, 2015. "The driving forces of change in energy-related CO2 emissions in Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern Europe: The LMDI approach to decomposition analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1485-1499.
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaolan Chen & Kaikai Wang & Guanjiang Wan & Yufei Liu & Wenbin Liu & Wanfang Shen & Jianing Shi, 2022. "Evaluation and Empirical Research on Eco-Efficiency of Financial Industry Based on Carbon Footprint in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Weixian Che & Yanfeng Wang & Wenwei Zhu & Lexin Hong & Can Fang & Huijun Wu & Jia Liu, 2024. "A Review of Carbon Emission Reduction During the Operation Stage of Substations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-22, November.
    3. Zhongshuai Shen & Xueying Bao & Zilong Li & Xiangru Lv, 2024. "Comparative Analysis of Carbon Emissions from Filled Embankment and Excavated Graben Schemes of Railway Subgrade Engineering," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-28, September.
    4. Wei-Kang Lin & Xiao-Wu Tang & Yuan Zou & Jia-Xin Liang & Ke-Yi Li, 2023. "Research on the Bearing Capacity and Sustainable Construction of a Vacuum Drainage Pipe Pile," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-15, May.
    5. Daniel Wałach & Aleksandra Mach, 2023. "Effect of Concrete Mix Composition on Greenhouse Gas Emissions over the Full Life Cycle of a Structure," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-20, April.
    6. Su, Shu & Sun, Ao & Yan, Hongtu & Wang, Qian & li, Lei & Zhu, Jiachen, 2025. "Optimization of construction program for economic and environmental sustainability," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).

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