Wood and Sustainable Building
Project: Redwoods TreehouseArchitect: Pacific Environments ArchitectsLocation: Warkworth, New ZealandImage: Lucy Gauntlett Design
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Learn more about wood at UTAS
Centre for Sustainable Architecture with WoodGraduate Certificate in Timber (Processing & Building)• 4 units, part time, onlineAreas covered include:• Wood science• Design for durability and service for life• Timber as a renewable resource• Sustainable design and construction• Engineered wood products• International technologies and developments• Plus, selected topics of individual interestMore information: Associate Professor Greg Nolan (03) 6324 4478 or [email protected]
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Learning Objectives
• After this presentation you should be able to:– Understand how wood can contribute to a sustainable
building– Compare wood products to other materials using Life cycle
assessment (LCA) methodology– Understand why specifying wood from well-managed
forests and plantations is good way to minimise the carbon footprint of a built structure
• For architects - AACA Competencies:– Design– Documentation
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
This Presentation
• What is LCA? Benefits and limitations• International applications• Australian applications / requirements
– BPIC project• LCA and timber in Australia
– Whole of building: FWPA RMIT LCA– Whole of Australia– Element scale
• Where is the field likely to go from here?
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Environmental Buzzwords
• Reused, recycled, recycled content• Carbon neutral• Non-toxic, non-virgin, PVC-free• Natural, renewable, rapidly renewable• Durable• Green• Sustainable• Locally sourced• Low VOC, low formaldehyde• Climate/earth/environmentally/eco/
dolphin friendly
Project: Art Gallery of OntarioArchitect: Gehry International ArchitectsEngineer: Halcrow YollesLocation: Toronto, Canada
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
How do Specifiers Decide?
• Make an educated guess – based on personal experience
or
• Use peers, friends, third partiesor
• Don’t decide - decision paralysis Project: Dusk BarArchitects: Campbell DrakeLocation: St. Kilda, VIC
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Third Parties: e.g. Green Star, Ecospecifier
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Lifecycle Flow Chart
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
What is LCA?
• Standard method to evaluate environmental imposts associated with a product or process over its life cycle
• Identifies and quantifies energy and materials inputs and waste outputs to the environment
• Assesses the affect of identified energy and materials inputs and outputs on the environment
• Evaluates opportunities to improve or reduce
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Components of an LCA
ISO 14040 series
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
1. Goal and Scope
• Goal– Intended application and audience– Comparative? Public?
• Scope:– System boundary– Functional unit / functional
equivalence– List assumptions Project: Richmond Olympic Oval
Architect: Cannon DesignEngineer: Fast & EppLocation: Richmond, Canada
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
1. Goal and Scope: Functional Unit
• Basic unit of measurement• e.g.
– 1 m3 of sawn timber– 1 m2 of brick wall– 1 tonne steel– Single brick– 1 m2 of floor area per year
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
1. Goal and Scope: Functional Equivalence
Comparing things that do the same thing• OK
– Insulated timber wall frame vs insulated steel wall frame
– 5 star timber clad/framed house vs 5 star double brick house
• Not generally OK– kg steel vs kg concrete– m3 aluminium vs m3 wood
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
2. Inventory – Inputs and Outputs
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
3. Impact Assessment - Categories
• Commonly used:– Global warming potential (greenhouse effect)– Eutrophication (water pollution)– Smog formation, ozone depletion– Acidification (acid rain)– Human toxicity, aquatic toxicity– Non-renewable resource depletion– Water use / depletion– Land transformation and use– Solid waste
Project: Redwoods TreehouseArchitect: Pacific Environments ArchitectsLocation: Warkworth, New ZealandImage: Lucy Gauntlett Design
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
3. Impact Assessment – Optional Elements
• Normalisation (magnitude of impacts relative to a reference)– e.g. Australian average per capita– World average per capita
• Weighting to get one number = “the answer”– e.g.
• GHG 30%, water use 20%, resource depletion 10% …… = 100%• GHG 10%, photochemical 10%, eutrophication 10% …. =100%
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
4. Interpretation and Improvement
• Conclusions and recommendations
• Consistent with goal and scope
Project: Permanent CampingArchitect: Casey Brown Architecture Location: Mudgee, NSW
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
4. Interpretation and Improvement
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Benefits of LCA
• Methodical approach / international standards• Reveals trade-offs• Scalable - can cover small part of process or whole-
of-life cycle of a product or service• Identifies areas for process and/or supply chain
improvement and investment• Identifies strengths and weaknesses vs competitors• Save $$$ • Reduce exposure to risk
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Benefits of LCA
• Allows proactive rather than reactive action• Comprehensive, authoritative and objective • Provides customers quality information for decision
making (and more informed questions!)• Goes “beyond carbon” on sustainability• Support of industry and academics
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Limitations of LCA
• Not every factor can be reduced to a number and modelled• Rigid system boundaries make accounting for changes in the
system difficult• Data quality: availability, accuracy, completeness and
representative• Social implications of products are generally lacking• Lack of agreement on allocation method for inputs/outputs of
co-products and/or end-of-life• There are guidelines to help reduce such conflicts • Spatially and temporal limitations – particularly important for
renewable materials
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
International Applications
• In Building– ATHENA/CORRIM – North
America• Detached housing and
commercial
– MAF / SCION – New Zealand• Commercial
Project: Outcrop House Architect: Peter Stutchbury Architecture Engineer: Simon MayLocation: North Beaches, NSWImage: Michael Nicholson
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
International Applications
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Australian Applications & Requirements
• Australian Government:– Scoping study for building materials– Carbon offset standard
• Industry organisations:– Think Brick - Energetics– FWPA – RMIT University
• Companies:– Plastics, water, waste, agriculture, construction
materials
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Australian Use of LCA: Carbon Offset Standard
• Carbon neutral products• 100% of GHG emissions associated
with the life cycle of product or service offset through approved GHG abatement measures
• Assessed using LCA methodology• Verified by independent LCA
practitioners
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Australian Use of LCA: BPIC LCI Project
• Objectives– Level playing field – Define environmental impact categories – get on
front foot– Get all major building materials to collect LCI – Develop rules about use of data– Develop environmental weightings – Industry alternative if sustainability of building
materials is regulated
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Applications for Australian companies and their clients
• NGERS reporting driving LCA take-up• Some developers committed to beyond NGERS
– total company carbon neutrality (e.g. Bovis Lend Lease)
• Used in marketing timber:– www.timbeck.com.au– www.watimberframing.com.au
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
LCA and building timber in Australia
• LCA Houses - RMIT• DEH Scoping LCA• LCA Windows - BRANZ
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA RMIT LCA: Objectives
• Compare the env. impact for the whole of life of a typical house design
• Five construction systems over three climates• Test Australian forest and wood products Life Cycle Inventory
(LCI) data collected by CSIRO • Highlight gaps in information and areas for improvement• Incorporate and inform the development of standard
methodologies for LCI and LCA for all building materials• Produce a credible LCA reference for use by the wood building
products industry
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA RMIT LCA: Methodology
House Construction methodVolume of wood (m3)
Sawn timberParticleboard
flooring
IInsulated steel frame, brick clad, suspended steel & particleboard floor
0.6 3.0
II Insulated steel frame, brick clad, concrete slab 0.6 0
III Insulated timber frame, brick clad, concrete slab 8.7 0
IVInsulated timber frame, brick clad, suspended timber & particleboard floor
11.0 3.0
VInsulated timber frame, timber clad, suspended timber & particleboard floor
13.7 3.0
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA RMIT LCA: Methodology
• Functional unit – 1m2 per year• 50 year life (standard)• Excluded non-heating/cooling energy
consumption• Reviewed by other building materials
representatives and housing industry
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA RMIT LCA: House Plan
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA RMIT LCA: Key results
• Materials matter!I
- M
elb
II -
Me
lb
III
- M
elb
IV -
Me
lb
V -
Me
lb
I -
Sy
d
II -
Sy
d
III
- S
yd
IV -
Sy
d
V -
Sy
d
I -
Bri
s
II -
Bri
s
III
- B
ris
IV -
Bri
s
V -
Bri
s
24% 23% 20% 19%14%
45% 44% 40% 38%30%
43% 41% 37% 35%27%
76% 77% 80% 81%86%
55% 56% 60% 62%70%
57% 59% 63% 65%73%
Embodied in Construction/Materials Operation (5-star heating and cooling)
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Think Brick LCA: Key results
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA RMIT LCA: Key Results
• Whole of Life Carbon Footprint- 5 star
Insulated steel frame, brick clad, suspended
steel
Insulated steel frame, brick clad and concrete
slab
Insulated timber frame, brick clad and concrete
slab
Insulated timber frame, brick clad, suspended
timber
Insulated timber frame, timber clad, suspended
timber
Melb 137.088000000001 137.088000000001 131.04 127.008 120.96
Sydney 73.584 72.576 66.528 63.504 56.448
Brisbane 78.624 77.616 71.568 68.544 61.488
10
30
50
70
90
110
130
Melb Sydney Brisbane
To
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Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA RMIT LCA: Key results
• Carbon footprint reductions using timber
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA RMIT LCA: Key results
• Substituting steel framing with timber ↓10 tCO2e
• Substituting brick cladding with timber↓7 tCO2e
• Substituting concrete slab with timber ↓3 tCO2e
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA RMIT LCA: Key results
• Avoided GHG emissions using timber equivalent to up to 8-26 years of GHG emissions from heating/cooling
City Thermal comfort performance
5-star 6-starMelbourne 8 11Brisbane 19 20Sydney 21 26
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA LCA: Key results
• Water:– Timber houses “use” more water– Water used in LCI forest in LCI – Water use is not differentiated based on affect
• Land Use– Timber houses “use” more land– Land use not differentiated based on affect
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA LCA: Key results
• Resource Depletion (non-renewable minerals and fossil fuels)– Timber framed houses up to 16% reduction
compared to steel– Weatherboard up to 12% reduction compared to
brick• Photochemical oxidation (smog)
– Timber framed houses 10-29% lower emissions compared to steel
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
FWPA LCA: Conclusions
• Substituting timber for steel, concrete, brick can reduce global warming
• Work needed on characterising water and land use for Australian conditions
• Affects from non-timber materials in a timber house can dominate
• End-of-life assumptions are criticalProject: Trojan House
Architect: Jackson Clements Burrows ArchitectsEngineer: Adams Consulting Engineers
Location: Hawthorn, VictoriaImage: John Clements
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Australian Use of LCA: DEH
• Scoping Study to Investigate Measures to Improve Environmental Sustainability of Building Materials
• Australian Department of Environment and Heritage
• Global Warming Potential (GWP) of building materials projected to increase by 40% by 2055
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Australian Use of LCA: DEH
Global warming potential – by material
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Australian Use of LCA: DEH
Flooring
External walls
Windows
Framing
Structural steel
Global warming potential – by application
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Australian Use of LCA: Windows
• Window size is the most dominant factor influencing environmental impact
• Frames about third largest factor• Overall aluminium skinned timber framed
windows performed best• Followed by hardwood, PVC then aluminium• Impact of manufacturing energy as a
proportion of total life cycle impact much higher than European studies
Source: Howard, N. et al (2007) Comparative service life of window systems. Available at http://www.fwpa.com.au/Resources/RD/Reports/PR07.1047%20Final%20Report%20WEB.pdf?c=2
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Australian Use of LCA: Windows
• Aluminium/wood composite window frame performed best
• Aluminium on outside meant no maintenance
• Wood provides thermal break
Image courtesy of JELD_WEN Australia
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Where is the field likely to go from here?
• EPDs – Environmental Product Declarations– ISO 21930
• Ecolabels:– GECA /Green Tag
– New ecolabels / ratings tools– Note - winners and losers
• Carbon footprinting• Water footprinting
Project: Wave DecksArchitect: Spadina, Rees and Simcoe
Location: Toronto, Canada
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Iron and steel
2000 3.2%
2010 4.0%
25% growth!
Cement
2000 3.8%
2010 5.0%
32% growth!
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
Learn more about wood at UTAS
Centre for Sustainable Architecture with WoodGraduate Certificate in Timber (Processing & Building)• 4 units, part time, onlineAreas covered include:• Wood science• Design for durability and service for life• Timber as a renewable resource• Sustainable design and construction• Engineered wood products• International technologies and developments• Plus, selected topics of individual interestMore information: Associate Professor Greg Nolan (03) 6324 4478 or [email protected]
Wood and Sustainable Building © FWPA 2011
More Information