Buildings are designed for a long life span and they may perform different functions. Thus, the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to buildings is a complex problem, as LCA was initially developed for the assessment of simpler products.
The model for the life cycle assessment of buildings was developed taking into account that it will be used in the very beginning of the design process, as it is during this stage that the most important decisions regarding the building design are taken, which will influence the building performance over its whole life.
The benchmarking of the life cycle performance of buildings should rely on a consistent methodology for life cycle assessment. Therefore, the methodology herein proposed is based on the framework for the life cycle assessment of construction works, provided by the recent set of standards from CEN TC350. – JRC Science Report –