The contribution of the maintenance phase for the environmental life-cycle impacts of a residential building

Abstract

In Portugal, there is a large and excessive housing supply. Therefore a responsible and adequate attitude towards its management is strongly required. A tailored preservation of the housing infrastructure, embracing both environmental and financial aspects, will facilitate monitoring its expected degradation, minimizing running-costs, extending lifetime and fulfilling occupants satisfaction. This study will be focused on assessing the contribution of the maintenance phase for the whole environmental life-cycle impacts of a single family dwelling in Portugal. The aim of the study is to assess the environmental impacts related to the maintenance scenarios of a conventional residential building in order to identify materials and building technologies that contribute most to those impacts. This research will disclose the relevance of the maintenance phase on the total life-cycle impacts of a conventional residential building and will provide a basis for supporting decision-making during the selection of optimized materials, construction products and technologies.