Life-Cycle Assessment of Buildings

Report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Concrete Sustainability Hub: Methods, Impacts, and Opportunities in the Concrete Building Life Cycle

 

The heating, cooling, and general operations of buildings and homes in the United States account for approximately 70% of national energy consumption each year and more than 40% of carbon dioxide emissions generated  in the U.S. Buildings create more carbon dioxide emissions than either transportation or industrial sources.

 

The need to decrease energy usage and subsequent emissions from the building sector has been at the forefront of U.S. green movement. Not only has energy reduction been viewed as a step for improving the environment, it has financial benefits for companies  and homeowners.

 

To address this, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Concrete Sustainability Hub conducted a life-cycle assessment (LCA) study to evaluate and improve the environmental impact and study how the “dual use” aspect  of concrete – its ability to offer a highly resilient structure while providing thermal mass benefits for energy loads – impacts  the environmental footprint of the structure.

 

 

Resources:

One-page fact sheet on the report

Talking points on the report

Full report from MIT

 

Visit the Think Harder print-on-demand web site to customize the fact sheet with your logo and contact information.