Kono, J (2018) Improving the sustainability performance of building materials: An approach from life cycle thinking. PhD thesis, Chalmers Tekniska Hogskola, Sweden.
Abstract
The construction industry is expected to play a vital role in meeting the global societal challenge of ensuring sustainable development. Due to the increasing importance of the embodied impact of materials, this thesis investigates how the sustainability performance of building materials can be improved. The investigation is conducted by exploring the influence and the relation of the following aspects to the materials: the different dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social and economic); technical requirements (functional performance); and the exposed systems (material-building-regions). Sustainable product development is considered an effective approach for improving building materials' sustainability performance. However, there is a need for further investigation to determine how to better implement it. The thesis aims to understand what kind of information can support the sustainable product development of building materials. To analyze the sustainability performance of building materials, methods with a life cycle perspective are employed. In addition to the life cycle based methods, which reflect the recent developments in the field, investigations are conducted regarding the phase of product development in which existing sustainability assessment methods can be utilized. In the thesis, two types of building materials are analyzed: thermal insulation materials, and green concrete. An investigation at the level of components and buildings is conducted with focus on a case building constructed in Sweden in 2013. The investigation of how different sustainability assessment methods and indicators can support product development is conducted by considering the phases of product development. It is found that few indicators and methods are able to support the early phase of product development and act mainly as proxy information for setting the goal of the developed material. However, various measures are able to support the later phase of product development, especially the production planning step. Furthermore, in the investigated case materials and building, trade-offs are seen between the dimensions under investigation: the material level, the component/building level, the social and environmental pillars of sustainability. The observed trade-offs highlight the importance and value of the product development phase as an effective measure to handle the occurring compromises. Sustainable product development can offer a platform for more holistic sustainability thinking about and realization of the developed building materials. The thesis emphasizes the value of and the role sustainable product development can play in ensuring the sustainable development of the construction industry.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Sweden; life cycle; production planning; sustainability; sustainable development |
| Index terms: | sustainability assessment, production planning, green concrete, sustainable development, product development, platform, Sweden, sustainability performance, life cycle, building material, investigation, thermal insulation, construction industry, dimension |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, value management, data collection methods, project delivery, health monitoring assessment and metrics, energy systems, building materials, digital design, health safety and environment, Geography, sustainability assessment, innovation studies |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Project Management, Health and Safety, Sustainability, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Digital Applications, 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