Generic LCA-methodology applicable for buildings, constructions and operation services - today practice and development needs

Environmental improvement in the building sector will be crucial for the societies ecological sustainability development. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is one of the well-known tools used ad hoc for ecological sustainable development. In the implementation of a generic LCA methodology applicable on constructions, the most complex abstraction level for the functional output will focus on the building operation usefulness, which regards services rather than construction properties. Furthermore, constructions or parts of it can be regarded as a streamlined application of an LCA methodology operating on the more complex service building level. A number of significant characteristics valid for a generic LCA methodology for buildings have been put forward and then checked in accordance with "today's practice", represented by five different LCA concepts utilised for buildings. On this basis, current practice but also development needs have been identified on the following themes; service coverage, life-cycle definition, time dependence (coverage), life-cycle inventory and life-cycle impact assessment. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.