Application of Life Cycle Assessment to Buildings, 1996 Life Cycle Assessment Symposium Proceedings

James A. Tshudy

Armstrong World Industries, Inc.

What is a green building? There are those in the industry who claim to have the answer and offer extensive guidance and recommendations in terms of design, products, materials, and building operations. What does the LCA concept have to say about green buildings? Can LCA be applied and used successfully in the design, construction, operation, or evaluation of a building?

An approach to the application of the LCA concept to buildings will be discussed. A framework for inventorying the potential environmental burdens associated with the total life of a building will be presented. The relationships between the building will be presented. The relationships between the building as a whole and the numerous products, materials, energies, and designs associated with the various design and material decisions become discernable enabling a more comprehensive, more reliable environmental assessment of options. It must also be remembered that building decisions need to take performance, function, and cost into consideration. To the degree that all of these things are possible, it is suggested that such an approach provides the only reliable foundation for recommendations for green buildings.