Trinius, W (1999) Environmental assessment in building and construction goals and scope definition as key to methodology choices. DrTech thesis, Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan, Sweden.
Abstract
Access to tools for environmental assessment is a precondition for identifying and improving the environmental performance of building sector products. With the multitude of parties involved in that sector, also the context within which assessment results are implemented varies. Such variations have to be correctly reflected in the premises under which an assessment is carried out. A wide variety of assessment tools, from simple checklists to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approaches, is available. The choice of assessment method has an evident influence on the character and quality of the generated results. Without confronting the ISO framework for LCA, a large variety of methodology choices can be made by the LCA-practitioner in order to adapt the assessment to his requirements. The application context is to be reflected in the goal and scope definition of the assessment. From that definition, methodology choices are to be made concerning among others allocation procedures and the delimitation of the analysed system. The choice of allocation method has shown significant influence on the generated results, when applying LCA on highly recyclable building materials. Within this publication, a method for deriving a link from the goal via the scope into the definition of system boundaries, and an economic allocation procedure for reuse and recycling, are proposed. Both are intended to enable a clear link between methodology choices and the goal and scope definition, which was identified as the key point in LCA. The methods presented in this publication do accord with the ISO standards.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | environmental assessment; environmental performance; life cycle; recycling; reuse; standards; variations |
| Index terms: | recycling, life cycle, environmental performance, building material, life cycle assessment, ISO, boundaries, environmental assessment, publication, practitioner, methodology, variation |
| Subjects: | standards development, building materials, value management, contractual condition, property law, research dissemination and communication, practitioner, waste management, environmental impact, research methods, sustainability assessment |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Contract Administration, Research Practice, Information Management, Roles and Professions, Quality Management, Legal Issues, Project Management, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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