Life cycle assessment in prefabricated buildings: a state of the art in assessing LCA in all life-cycle phases

Abstract

The construction sector is partly responsible for the high rise in waste production and environmental problems like air and water pollution, global warming, and biodiversity loss [1]. Designing buildings with a more circular approach that considers the deconstruction process alongside construction can help reduce waste and emissions in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) [2]. Prefabricated construction methods can also facilitate the adoption of circular principles [3] by increasing building efficiency and adequacy while mitigating the lack of skilled handwork and meeting tight deadlines [4]. However, to ensure circularity, materials and components used in prefabrication must be sustainable and designed for disassembly and reuse [5]. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology used to evaluate a building’s life cycle holistically and identify opportunities for waste reduction and resource efficiency [6]. LCA methods can also inform the design process and help identify optimal end-of-life scenarios for materials and products in a circular economy framework [7,8,9]. Adopting circular economy principles and using LCA can help the construction sector minimize waste, maximize resource efficiency, and reduce the environmental impact of buildings and infrastructure [10-20]. This paper aimed to do a state of the art about the LCA in prefabricated buildings to enhance circularity in AEC.