The Reporting of End of Life and Module D Data and Scenarios in EPD for Building level Life Cycle Assessment

This paper identifies the need for Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) to provide End of Life (EoL) and Module D data for products for use in building level Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Although the provision of data for EN 15804 Modules A4-D is not currently mandatory for EPD, many currently report some or all of these. This paper provides an overview of the existing reporting of the end of life (Modules C1-4) and Module D and the types of scenarios used in European EPD. Using examples from existing EPD for two product groups, this paper examines the variation in approaches to scenarios for Module C and D. It explores the difficulties brought by this variation and discusses benefits from using default national scenarios at end of life, but additionally considers the advantages of providing alternative EoL scenarios for products to promote the circular economy

Mechanical behaviour of pre-stressed spruce timber–timber 2.5-mm-step grooved connections under shearing tests

A smart shear connection system was tested in order to be used in manufactured elements of a lattice of wooden slats and a cross offset. This type of floor element can present advantages both in terms of weight and suitable insulating filler (Adalberth et al. 2001; Kawasaki and Kawai 2006; Kermani and Hairstans 2006; Dodoo et al. 2014). This connection is made to provide a substitute for a glue connection. The shear connection proposed is made by double-sided grooving timber interfaces to form a cross section. A specifically designed test assembly was constructed to measure and guarantee homogeneous contact pressure in interface test specimens. Shear test results are presented and compared in terms of capacity and stiffness with glue connections. The principal conclusions are as follows: the allowable shearing resistance of the grooved timber–timber joints can approximately reach the resistance of glued connections. The stiffness of the joints is improved by increasing the pre-stress applied for holding contact in the assembly. The grooved timber-to-timber joints exhibit non-linear behaviour which dominates the behaviour of the whole system. Therefore, the behaviour of a unit connection must be determined to obtain the mean load-carrying capacity and stiffness of a system with grooved connections

Carbon dioxide reduction in the building life cycle: a critical review

The construction industry is known to be a major contributor to environmental pressures due to its high energy consumption and carbon dioxide generation. The growing amount of carbon dioxide emissions over buildings’ life cycles has prompted academics and professionals to initiate various studies relating to this problem. Researchers have been exploring carbon dioxide reduction methods for each phase of the building life cycle – from planning and design, materials production, materials distribution and construction process, maintenance and renovation, deconstruction and disposal, to the material reuse and recycle phase. This paper aims to present the state of the art in carbon dioxide reduction studies relating to the construction industry. Studies of carbon dioxide reduction throughout the building life cycle are reviewed and discussed, including those relating to green building design, innovative low carbon dioxide materials, green construction methods, energy efficiency schemes, life cycle energy analysis, construction waste management, reuse and recycling of materials and the cradle-to-cradle concept. The review provides building practitioners and researchers with a better understanding of carbon dioxide reduction potential and approaches worldwide. Opportunities for carbon dioxide reduction can thereby be maximised over the building life cycle by creating environmentally benign designs and using low carbon dioxide materials

Adherence of hip and knee arthroplasty studies to RSA standardization guidelines

Peer reviewe

Lifestyle Choices and Societal Behavior Changes as Local Climate Strategy

The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing rapid economic growth. Along with rising incomes, the lifestyles of the large middle class are moving quickly towards a buy-and-discard consumer model that involves carbon-intensive products and services. These increase dependency on the Earth's finite natural resources and simultaneously produces waste, putting a significant strain on the environment. Such lifestyles, coupled with scarce resources and frequent natural hazards associated with climate change, pose serious threats to the future of the planet. Developed countries with high footprint per capita are under pressure to adjust their lifestyles that respect the Earths' carrying capacity. As far as countries in the Asia and Pacific region are concerned, mere technological solutions such as improving production efficiency will not be adequate to address climate change; a paradigm shift to more resource-efficient and low-carbon lifestyles, that promote inclusive and efficient consumption is the need of the hour. Several examples of good practices and community initiatives can be found around the world, but these have yet to be brought to the mainstream in order to achieve tangible results. Governments and policy makers in the Asia-Pacific can join hands with businesses and civil society to accelerate this transition - from a consumption-oriented economic paradigm, to a more sustainable way of production and consumption. This paper attempts to identify lifestyle changes at the individual level, and behavioral changes at the community level that could offer high carbon abatement potential. It also provides some good practices of public policies and policy recommendations that can be pivotal in making a business case of low-carbon and eco-efficient lifestyles, strengthening collective awareness, and influencing public decision-making in developing countries in Asia