In the near future, several industrial sectors will have to face the challenge of reducing air, water and soil pollutions, decreasing environmental damage: the construction industry could play a key role in sustainable development. Nowadays, designers have to select materials and technical solutions with low energy consumption and resource depletion. Internationally recognised LCA – Life Cycle Assessment (UNI EN ISO 14040 and 14044) is currently the most reliable methodology for energy and environmental impacts evaluation in production processes and products.
In this work, the LCA method was used to evaluate the energetic and environmental burdens taking into consideration the most important life cycle phases for the building envelope. The project demonstrates the key role of LCA as methodology to support management and marketing strategies in the building sector and, since the environmental consciousness in the building sector is raising, the need to use LCA and materials selection techniques here also offers the opportunity to introduce a satisfactory approach to eco-materials. Ultimately, the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) scheme was introduced as a valid support and vehicle for the environmental communication (ISO 14025 application), evidencing the importance of the Product Category Rules (PCR) document development.
Principal Academic Tutors
Bruno De Benedetti
Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Politecnico di Torino
Academic Tutors
Guglielmina Mutani
Energetics, Politecnico di Torino
Evasio Lavagno
Energetics, Politecnico di Torino
External institutions
Life Cycle Engineering
External Tutors
Gian Luca Baldo
Life Cycle Engineering
Leonardo Maffia
Life Cycle Engineering
Team members
TEAM A
Stefano Passerini [Team controller], Nuclear Engineering
Chiara Brocchi [Project Communication Coordinator], Safety and Prevention Engineering in the process industry
Antonino Ripepi, Environmental Engineering
Elena Dalla Vecchia, Environmental Engineering
Allan Martins Rodrigo Gaban, Mechatronical Engineering
Emanuela Peduzzi, Nuclear Engineering