Find out how wood construction can contribute to a sustainable building. Using scientifically based life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, this session demonstrates why wood products are better for the environment than other materials in terms of indicators such as global warming potential and resource depletion. LCA is becoming the world standard for evaluating the sustainability of materials and assemblies and improving environmentally based decision-making. See why wood from well-managed forests and plantations is a good choice when it comes to climate change.

1. Wood and Sustainable Building Project: Redwoods Treehouse Architect: Pacific Environments Architects Location: Warkworth, New Zealand Image: Lucy Gauntlett Design

2. Learn more about wood at UTAS Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood Graduate Certificate in Timber (Processing & Building) 4 units, part time, online Areas 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 interest More information: Associate Professor Greg Nolan (03) 6324 4478 or enquiries@arch.utas.edu.auwww.csaw.utas.edu.au

3. 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

4. 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?

5. 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 Ontario Architect: Gehry International Architects Engineer: HalcrowYolles Location: Toronto, Canada

6. How do Specifiers Decide? Make an educated guess – based on personal experience or Use peers, friends, third parties or Don’t decide - decision paralysis Project: Dusk Bar Architects: Campbell Drake Location: St. Kilda, VIC

7. Third Parties: e.g. Green Star, Ecospecifier

8. Lifecycle Flow Chart

9. 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

10. Components of an LCA ISO 14040 series

11. 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 Design Engineer: Fast & Epp Location: Richmond, Canada

12. 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

13. 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 m3aluminiumvs m3 wood

14. 2. Inventory – Inputs and Outputs

15. 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 Treehouse Architect: Pacific Environments Architects Location: Warkworth, New Zealand Image: Lucy Gauntlett Design

16. 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%

17. 4. Interpretation and Improvement Conclusions and recommendations Consistent with goal and scope Project: Permanent Camping Architect: Casey Brown Architecture Location: Mudgee, NSW

18. 4. Interpretation and Improvement

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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 May Location: North Beaches, NSW Image:Michael Nicholson

23. International Applications

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. LCA and building timber in Australia LCA Houses - RMIT DEH Scoping LCA LCA Windows - BRANZ

29. 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

30. FWPA RMIT LCA: Methodology

31. 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

32. FWPA RMIT LCA: House Plan

33. FWPA RMIT LCA: Key results Materials matter!

34. Think Brick LCA: Key results

35. FWPA RMIT LCA: Key Results Whole of Life Carbon Footprint- 5 star

36. FWPA RMIT LCA: Key results Carbon footprint reductions using timber

37. 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

38. FWPA RMIT LCA: Key results Avoided GHG emissions using timber equivalent to up to 8-26 years of GHG emissions from heating/cooling

39. 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

40. 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

41. 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 critical Project: Trojan House Architect: Jackson Clements Burrows Architects Engineer: Adams Consulting Engineers Location:Hawthorn, Victoria Image: John Clements

42. 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

43. Australian Use of LCA: DEH Global warming potential – by material

44. Australian Use of LCA: DEH Windows External walls Structural steel Flooring Framing Global warming potential – by application

45. 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

46. 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

47. 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 Decks Architect: Spadina, Rees and Simcoe Location: Toronto, Canada

48. Source: World Resources Institute http://www.wri.org/chart/world-greenhouse-gas-emissions-2005

49. Learn more about wood at UTAS Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood Graduate Certificate in Timber (Processing & Building) 4 units, part time, online Areas 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 interest More information: Associate Professor Greg Nolan (03) 6324 4478 or enquiries@arch.utas.edu.auwww.csaw.utas.edu.au

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