CIB W116—Smart and Sustainable Built Environments - Test Input

Life Cycle Assessment of Building Materials Used at
External Wall Systems
Kaya, U.
Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University
(email: kayau@itu.edu.tr)
Turkeri, N.
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University
(email: sahal@itu.edu.tr)
Abstract
Due to lack of information about environmental regulations, assessment tools and methods,
environmental impacts of external wall systems and their components are mostly neglected during the
design process by architects and other construction professionals in Turkey. Presently, a Master of
Science thesis is conducted to develop several sustainable external wall system design alternatives
according to performance approach by considering environmental performance of related
components, which have particularly proved to be efficient. The aim of this paper is to present
environmental performance of external wall system components, which consist of core,
waterproofing, thermal insulation and cladding materials. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used as a
method to assess the environmental performance of the components. Initially, survey system of
Environmental Resource Guide, which is designed by American Institute of Architects in a
framework of LCA, was reorganized in a simplistic format. The survey consisted of three parts, one
of which was the definition of aim and scope of the study, where research boundaries were set by
particular materials and geographical positions, and the other was inventory analysis where data was
collected for observing environmental footprints from cradle to grave. The final part included the
impact assessment, where collected data was evaluated by different impact categories. According to
LCA survey, building materials are compared between same functional component groups in regard
to related impact category, such as environment and ecosystem effects, human health and welfare
effects, energy effects and building operation factors. Life cycle assessment survey has guided to
evaluate environmental performance of external wall system components manufactured in Marmara
Region of Turkey. Subsequent to the preparation of the survey, external wall system component
manufacturers in the Marmara Region of Turkey were compiled and sorted in a list. Thereafter,
surveys were filled out by visiting manufacturing facilities, where controlled interview was conducted
with facility managers in response to enquiry. Consequently, environmental performance of related
components was assessed to present their environmental impacts. Reliability of survey data could not
be validated depending on unverified vague replies of manufacturers.
Keywords: Life cycle assessment, sustainability, environmental performance, external wall systems,
building materials
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