Analysis of life cycle assessment of wooden construction

Abstract

Unfortunately, rapid development of new products and manufacturing processes in the modern world, generate more and more negative impact on the natural environment. Therefore, there is a necessity for comprehensive methods of environmental impact assessment, based on the methodology adopted by the international organizations. One of such a methods is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This is a relatively new technique of environmental management, which involves particular product assessment in terms of environmental effects, during its entire life cycle. The main goal of this method is a comparative analysis and optimization of production to minimize negative environmental impacts in different phases of product’s production, exploitation and elimination. Life Cycle Assessment concerns many areas of human activity, including the civil engineering, which is one of the largest sectors of the economy and of raw materials flow as well. In this thesis an analysis of life cycle of small wooden construction using the environmental Life Cycle Assessment method has been presented. The scale and type of negative environmental impacts generated during the life cycle of the construction have been analyzed. The analysis has been carried out by using the computer program Sima Pro 7. In this program all particular elements and production processes of wooden construction have been verified. The stages starting from the growth of trees in the forest, treatment of wood, through assembly, till demolition and waste utilization, have been taken into consideration. The processes with the most adverse environmental effects were found. Conclusions concerning the performed analysis have been formulated.