Asif, M (2019) An empirical study on life cycle assessment of double-glazed aluminium-clad timber windows. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 37(5), pp. 547-564. ISSN 23984708
Abstract
Purpose: Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to determine the environmental performance of materials and products. The purpose of this paper is to undertake the LCA of double-glazed aluminium-clad timber windows in order to determine their environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach: The scope of the LCA study covers the production and the use of windows over a 30-year life span. The LCA exercise has been carried out by auditing the materials and processes involved in the making of the windows. Windows production facilities were visited to investigate the respective quantities and embodied energy of the major constituting materials, i.e. timber, aluminium, glass, infill gases and auxiliary components. The main processes involved, i.e. powder coating of aluminium cladding profiles, glazing unit production and window assembly, were also examined. SimaPro software was used to calculate the environmental impacts associated with the windows for three types of glazing infills: Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr) and Xenon (Xe). Findings: Embodied energy of a standard sized (1.2 m×1.2 m) double-glazed aluminium-clad timber window is found to be 899, 1,402 and 5,400 MJ for Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr) and Xenon (Xe) infill gases, respectively. It is also found that an Argon-filled window can lose 95,130 kWh of energy resulting into over 37,000 kg of CO2 emissions. Originality/value: Besides carrying value for research community, the findings of this study can help the building and construction industry adopt windows that are energy-efficient and environmentally less burdensome. It can also help the concerned legislative bodied.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | aluminium; buildings; life cycle assessment; sustainability; timber; windows |
| Index terms: | life cycle assessment, coating, window, methodology, environmental impact, glazing, environmental performance, exercise, CO2 emissions, construction industry, cladding, embodied energy, empirical study |
| Subjects: | research methods, architectural elements, sustainability assessment, industry analysis, air quality, health behaviours and lifestyles, environmental impact, building materials, energy systems |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Research Practice, Construction Materials, Sustainability, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here