Critical review, meta-analysis and harmonization of life cycle assessment of mass timber construction: reducing variability in environmental impact estimates
Mass timber construction (MTC) is gaining global popularity as it aims to increase carbon storage in buildings, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. However, inconsistencies in system boundaries and biogenic carbon accounting create significant variability in reported carbon footprint and energy...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/adf145 |
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| Summary: | Mass timber construction (MTC) is gaining global popularity as it aims to increase carbon storage in buildings, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. However, inconsistencies in system boundaries and biogenic carbon accounting create significant variability in reported carbon footprint and energy demand. To address this, we conduct a critical literature review, meta-analysis, and the first-ever harmonization of MTC life cycle assessment (LCA), addressing disparities in carbon emission and energy demand estimates. A key finding is the systematic difference between modeled (LCAs using hypothetical buildings) and constructed (LCAs using built buildings), with modeled studies often underestimating carbon emissions and energy demand. After harmonization to a consistent system boundary excluding biogenic carbon and other key parameter values, modeled life cycle carbon emissions (LCCEs) shifted from a median of 281 kgCO _2 eq m ^−2 to 288 kgCO _2 eq m ^−2 (increased by 2.4%) while constructed estimates decreased from 714 kgCO _2 eq m ^−2 to 688 kgCO _2 eq m ^−2 (decreased by 3.6%). The harmonization significantly reduced the variability, improving comparability across studies. These findings highlight the importance of standardized methodologies in MTC environmental impact assessment. Finally, we assert that new process-based MTC LCAs are more likely to align with existing literature, given the extensive range of LCCE estimates and narrow median values after harmonization. Future research should expand impact categories beyond carbon and energy for a more holistic environmental assessment. Additionally, accurately incorporating wood biogenic carbon will provide deeper insights into the long-term benefits of MTC and offer new insights for researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders dedicated to reducing the environmental footprint of building construction. |
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| ISSN: | 2634-4505 |