Introduction to Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment: The Basics
A summary of life cycle changes and considerations for choosing and performing whole building life cycle assessments.
Sustainability Resources
Life Cycle Assessment
Developing a Functionally Equivalent Design for Comparative WBLCA
Identify what is required for two or more building designs to be compared to each other.
Considerations & Worksheet for Structural WBLCA of Mass Timber Buildings
Guidance for mass timber building designers undertaking whole building life cycle assessment (WBLCA)
WBLCA Worksheet
This fillable PDF steps through common decisions building designers need to make in each phase of an LCA. It is a companion to the paper, Considerations and Worksheet for Structural WBLCA of Mass Timber Buildings.
Platte Fifteen Life Cycle Assessment
LCA study compares embodied carbon, construction costs, and construction speed of a real mass timber office project with functionality equivalent buildings in steel and concrete.
Return to Form Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Study
Compares a Type IV-B multi-family mass timber building over a I-A concrete podium to functionally equivalent cold-formed steel and concrete alternatives in terms of embodied carbon, cost, and construction speed
Nez Perce-Clearwater Office WBLCA
Compares a Type V-B, two-story mass timber/light-frame wood hybrid and a functionally equivalent alternate designed in steel — in terms of embodied carbon, cost, and construction speed.
Carbon
Calculating the Carbon Stored in Wood Products
There are many complex elements associated with carbon accounting and life cycle assessment (LCA). Fortunately, the amount of carbon stored in wood is a straightforward calculation that remains consistent for each wood species.
When to Include Biogenic Carbon in an LCA
Part 1 in a series on biogenic carbon accounting for wood products – an overview of biogenic accounting practices as defined by international standards.
How to Include Biogenic Carbon in an LCA
Part 2 in a series on biogenic carbon accounting for wood products – specifics for each stage of the life cycle.
Biogenic Carbon Accounting in WBLCA Tools
Part 3 in a series on biogenic carbon accounting for wood products – the nuances of different tools.
Long-Term Biogenic Carbon Storage
Part 4 in a series on biogenic carbon accounting for wood products – climate benefits of long-term carbon storage and delayed emissions, and recommendations for reporting these benefits while aligning with ISO standards.
Carbon Accounting Tools for Structural Systems
An overview of whole building life cycle assessment tools and carbon calculators available to building designers
What Net Zero Means in the Building Construction Industry
Demystifying the term ‘net zero,’ and how wood structural materials can help move buildings toward a net-zero carbon goal
LEED Credits for Use of Wood Products
Overview plus in-depth resource for understanding the contribution of structural wood products to LEED certification
Environmental Product Declarations
Current EPDs for Wood Products
List of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) available for wood products
How to Use Environmental Product Declarations
Addresses the limitations of using EPDs alone to determine the environmental impacts of construction products
Understanding the Carbon Numbers in a Wood EPD
Guidance on how global warming potential and biogenic carbon are reported in the North American Softwood Lumber Environmental Product Declaration