A Building Information Modeling-Life Cycle Cost Analysis Integrated Model to Enhance Decisions Related to the Selection of Construction Methods at the Conceptual Design Stage of Buildings

Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) provides a systematic approach to assess the total cost associated with owning, operating, and maintaining assets throughout their entire life. BIM empowers architects and designers to perform real-time evaluations to explore various design options. However, when integrated with LCCA, BIM provides a comprehensive economic perspective that helps stakeholders understand the long-term financial implications of design decisions. This study presents a methodology for developing a model that seamlessly integrates BIM and LCCA during the conceptual design stage of buildings. This integration allows for a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the design process, ensuring that the development aligns with the principles of low carbon emissions by employing modular construction, 3D concrete printing methods, and different building design alternatives. The model considers the initial construction costs in addition to all the long-term operational, maintenance, and salvage values. It combines various tools and data through different modules, including energy analysis, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) to execute a comprehensive assessment of the financial implications of a specific design option throughout the lifecycle of building projects. The development of the said model and its implementation involves the creation of a new plug-in for the BIM tool (i.e., Autodesk Revit) to enhance its functionalities and capabilities in forecasting the life-cycle costs of buildings in addition to generating associated cash flows, creating scenarios, and sensitivity analyses in an automatic manner. This model empowers designers to evaluate and justify their initial investments while designing and selecting potential construction methods for buildings, and enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions by assessing different design alternatives based on long-term financial considerations during the early stages of design.

A review on plasma-based CO_(2) utilization:process considerations in the development of sustainable chemical production

Plasma-based processes,particularly in carbon capture and utilization,hold great potential for addressing environmental challenges and advancing a circular carbon economy.While significant progress has been made in understanding plasma-induced reactions,plasma-catalyst interactions,and reactor development to enhance energy efficiency and conversion,there remains a notable gap in research concerning overall process development.This review emphasizes the critical need for considerations at the process level,including integration and intensification,to facilitate the industrialization of plasma technology for chemical production.Discussions centered on the development of plasma-based processes are made with a primary focus on CO_(2) conversion,offering insights to guide future work for the transition of the technology from laboratory scale to industrial applications.Identification of current research gaps,especially in upscaling and integrating plasma reactors with other process units,is the key to addressing critical issues.The review further delves into relevant research in process evaluation and assessment,providing methodological insights and highlighting key factors for comprehensive economic and sustainability analyses.Additionally,recent advancements in novel plasma systems are reviewed,presenting unique advantages and innovative concepts that could reshape the future of process development.This review provides essential information for navigating the path forward,ensuring a comprehensive understanding of challenges and opportunities in the development of plasma-based CCU process.

The potential impact of increased whole grain consumption among Chinese adults on reducing healthcare costs and carbon footprint

Excessive consumption of refined grains harms human health and ecosystem viability.Whole grains,as a healthy and sustainable alternative to refined grains,can benefit individual health by providing dietary fiber,B vitamins,and bioactive substances.Additionally,they aid in improving the environment due to their higher extraction rate and lower carbon emission during the processing stage.However,few studies have attempted to evaluate the economic and social benefits of increasing the amount of whole grain in grain intake.This paper estimates the potential savings in healthcare costs and reduced food carbon footprints(CFs)that could result from a shift toward whole grain consumption following the Chinese Dietary Guidelines(CDG).We investigate hypothetical scenarios where a certain proportion(5–100%)of Chinese adults could increase their whole grain intakes as proposed by CDG to meet the average shortfall of 30.2 g.In that case,the healthcare costs for associated diseases(e.g.,type2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),cardiovascular disease(CVD),and colorectal cancer(CRC))are expected to reduce by a substantial amount,from USD 2.82 to 56.37 billion;the carbon emission levels are also projected to decrease by0.24–5.72 million tons.This study provides compelling evidence that advocating for the transition towards greater consumption of whole grain products could benefit individual health,the environment,and society,by reducing both healthcare costs and carbon emissions.

Environmental Analysis of Packaging for Soft Drinks Using the Life Cycle Assessment Methodology

The knowledge of a product＇s life cycle is the first step on the search of sustainable development. The life cycle assessment （LCA） is an important method because it allows an environment accounting, where the extraction of natural resources and energy of the nature are considered and the ＂returns＂ to the same one and allows in evaluating relative potential the environment impacts generated. The present work had as objective to make an analysis of material and energy flows of the life cycle of three types of packaging for soft drinks： glass bottles of 390 mL, aluminum cans of 350 mL, and bottles of PET of 2,000 mL. The study considered processes since the extraction of raw materials for production of the packaging until the stages of recycling, after the consumption of the soft drink. For the research, an inventory analysis followed the LCA methodology. The main critical points of generation of negative environmental impact during the life cycle of each packaging had been the identified and quantified data in this study. The consumption of natural resources like water and other raw materials and energy, the generation of atmospheric emissions, solid wastes and wastewaters had been the analyzed categories. The results showed that, in accordance with the scenes and defined variables, the most important conclusion was that the bottle of glass presented a less favorable scene to the environment in comparison with other packaging.

Importance of Life Cycle Analysis of the Printed Circuit Board Computer

It is estimated that there is a generation of 307,224 ton/year [1] of waste from electronic and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Mexico, of which 10% is recycled, 40% remains stored and 50% reaches landfills or uncontrolled dumps. In the practice, even the regulatory instruments are not consolidated and the adequate management of the use of WEEE management, so the aim of this study is an analysis of life cycle of printed circuit boards (TCI) to identify the management alternatives that represent the least impact to the environment. This assessment was carried out using software SIMAPRO to determine the environmental impact of each scenario, through the comparison of impacts and the proposed improvements to reduce it, following phases of this methodology by applying standards, ISO 14040/ISO 14044 [2], using data from the INE official reports since 2006 until 2010 which concentrate the information of the WEEE problem in Mexico. These data were pooled to carry out inventories according to the availability in the information, identifying the environmental impacts generated by processing. The conclusions of the LCA will serve to identify the stage with greater environmental impact, and thus propose ideas for improvement in order to minimize this impact.

Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment for the Typical Intermediate Crude Refining Scheme in China

The integration of refinery and petrochemical units(IRPUs)has become an inevitable choice for the sustainable development of petrochemical industry.The utilization efficiency of petroleum resources could be improved obviously through IRPUs.However,integrating economic and environmental impacts into the model of IRPUs is still a grand challenge.Herein,a model called TEA-GHG-OPWM(Techno-Economic Analysis and GreenHouse Gases Oriented Plant-Wide Model)has been established on Aspen HYSYSTM platform to calculate the energy consumption,the technoeconomic performance,and the GHG emissions for two different kinds of schemes,viz,:VRHCU(Vacuum Residue Hydrocracking Unit)and VRDS-RFCC(Vacuum Residue Desulfurization and Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking).Furthermore,a novel processing pathway named VGOHDT-HTMP-DC(Vacuum Gas Oil Hydrotreating,Hydrogenation and TMP coupling process and Delayed Coking)has also been developed to find methods to improve the economic performance based on a ten-million-CNY output value(TMYOV)and a reduced GHG emissions.Our results demonstrate that VRHCRU could consume more energy and emit more GHG(877.11 t of CO2 eq·TMYOV^-1·h^-1)than VRDS-RFCC(817.03 t of CO2 eq·TMYOV^-1·h^-1)and VGOHDT-HTMP-DC(721.96 t of CO2 eq·TMYOV^-1·h^-1),while obtaining a higher mass yield of petrochemicals.The VGOHDT-HTMP-DC process exhibits the lowest feedstock consumption,hydrogen consumption,energy consumption,and GHG emissions,indicating that VGOHDT-HTMP-DC has both well economic and environmentally friendly performance.

Improvement of the Life Cycle Costing Method in DesignStage Using KBIMS Library

With the advent of the fourth industrial revolution,the construction industry has undergone a paradigm shift.The smart construction technology market is expected to grow 12%annually in developed countries due to advanced technology investments.It is expected that businesses requiring highly sophisticated technology,for instance companies that need their old facilities upgraded,will become the main focus of the market.As building information modeling(BIM)design is becoming mandatory,such as in the Korea Public Procurement Service,researches regarding building automation,construction,and operation integration management systems based on BIM are conducted.In addition,for construction projects of over 10 billion won,design value engineering(Design VE)implementation,including life cycle cost(LCC)analysis,is mandatory at the design stage to improve quality and reduce the lifetime costs of buildings.In this study,we propose an improvement plan for LCC analysis at the design stage using the KBIMS library,which is an open BIM library developed by the Korean government and research groups.We analyze the existing LCC method,KBIMS library,and attribute information,and model the process that is applied in the LCC analysis system.This is expected to complement the LCC analysis system and improve work productivity.

A dynamic analysis of environmental losses from anthropogenic lead flow and their accumulation in China

Substance flow analysis was applied to analyzing the lead emissions in 2010. It turns out that in 2010, for every 1 kg of lead consumed, 0.48 kg lead is lost into the environment. The emissions in 2010 were estimated to be 1.89×10^6 t, which were mainly from use （39.20%） and waste management＆recycling （33.13%）. The accumulative lead in 1960-2010 from the anthropogenic flow was estimated and the results show that the total accumulative lead in this period amounted to 19.54×10^6 t, which was equivalent to 14.26 kg and 2.04 g/m^2 at the present population and territory.

The Environmental Impacts and Economic Benefits on Comprehensively Promoting Alternative Fuel Buses in China: Life-Cycle and Scenario Analysis Based on LEAP Model

With the continuous development of urban public transportation, the harmful GHG emissions and pollutants generated by itself and the consequent issues such as the losses of residents’ health, economic value and residents’ welfare have become the focus of social attention. In order to study the impacts of promoting new energy vehicles on public transportation pollution mitigation and residents’ health benefits, this paper adopts the LEAP model to build some scenarios that fulfill different development needs to quantitatively analyze the ownership of new energy buses, the reduction of pollutants and the losses of residents’ health welfare. It is concluded that promoting new energy buses comprehensively can significantly reduce the emissions of atmospheric pollutants and the economic losses of residents’ health, but cannot fully realize the targets of greenhouse gas reduction under Life Cycle Analysis.

Life cycle assessment as a prospective tool for sustainable agriculture and food planning at a local level

Owing to the far-reaching environmental consequences of agriculture and food systems,such as their contribution to climate change,there is an urgent need to reduce their impact.International and national governments set sustainability targets and implement corresponding measures.Nevertheless,critics of the globalized system claim that a territorial administrative scale is better suited to address sustainability issues.Yet,at the subnational level,local authorities rarely apply a systemic environmental assessment to enhance their action plans.This paper employs a territorial life cycle assessment methodology to improve local environmental agri-food planning.The objective is to identify significant direct and indirect environmental hotspots,their origins,and formulate effective mitigation strategies.The methodology is applied to the administrative department of Finistere,a strategic agricultural region in North-Western France.Multiple environmental criteria including climate change,fossil resource scarcity,toxicity,and land use are modeled.The findings reveal that the primary environmental hotspots of the studied local food system arise from indirect sources,such as livestock feed or diesel consumption.Livestock reduction and organic farming conversion emerge as the most environmentally efficient strategies,resulting in a 25%decrease in the climate change indicator.However,the overall modeled impact reduction is insufficient following national objectives and remains limited for the land use indicator.These results highlight the innovative application of life cycle assessment led at a local level,offering insights for the further advancement of systematic and prospective local agri-food assessment.Additionally,they provide guidance for local authorities to enhance the sustainability of planning strategies.

Comparative analysis of perpetual pavement structures based on pavement performance and life cycle cost

Pavement performance and economic efficiency are researched on the perpetual test pavement of Yijiang-Suzhou Express Highway in Jiangsu province, China. Test sections were continuously monitored. The conditions and developing laws of deflection, rutting and cracking are compared among the perpetual pavement with the rich binder layer （RBL）, the perpetual pavement without the RBL, and the conventional semi-rigid asphalt pavement in the past eight years after opening for traffic. Economical evaluation is conducted via life cycle cost analysis （LCCA）. Based on the performance comparison and LCCA analysis, sections with the RBL have good crack resistance, but they are not very satisfactory in the aspect of permanent deformation; the conventional semi-rigid asphalt pavement is the least economic one due to requiring more frequent maintenance. Research results show that the perpetual pavement without RBL is a more appropriate structure for the test site.

Review of energy consumption research for papermaking industry based on life cycle analysis

Papermaking industry is a high-energy-consuming industry with long supply chain.The growth of paper product demand further intensifies the need of energy consumption.Energy saving through the full supply chain has become a focal point for long-term sustainable development of the papermaking industry.This paper reviews the advances in life cycle analysis for the papermaking industry in recent years.All the stages from the full supply chain are involved to give a panoramic overview of the papermaking industry.The object of this paper is to provide scientific basis to industry and decision-makers with profound understanding of the energy consumption and energy saving potential in a life cycle perspective.

Life cycle cost analysis of new FRP based solar parabolic trough collector hot water generation system

Parabolic trough collectors （PTCs） are employed for a variety of applications including steam generation and hot water generation. This paper deals with the experimental results and an economic analysis of a new fibre reinforced plastic （FRP） based solar PTC with an embedded electronic controlled tracking system designed and developed for hot water generation in a restaurant in Madurai, India. The new collector performance has been tested according to ASHRAE Standard 93 （1986）. The performance of a new PTC hot water generation system with a well mixed hot water storage tank is investigated by a series of extensive tests over ten months period. The average maximum storage tank water temperature observed was 74.91℃, when no energy is withdrawn from the tank to the load during the collection period. The total cost of the new economic FRP based solar PTC for hot water generation with an embedded electronic controlled tracking system is Rs. 25000 （US$ 573） only. In the present work, life cycle savings （LCS） method is employed for a detailed economic analysis of the PTC system. A computer program is used as a tool for the economic analysis. The present worth of life cycle solar savings is evaluated for the new solar PTC hot water generation system that replaces an existing electric water heating system in the restaurant and attains a value of Rs. 23171.66 after 15 years, which is a significant saving. The LCS method and the MATLAB computer simulation program presented in this paper can be used to estimate the LCS of other renewable energy systems.

Uncertainty in life cycle economical analysis of cassava-based ethanol fuel

Biomass ethanol fuel is not only renewable but also environmental-friendly. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is developing the cassava-based ethanol fuel. Economical performance of the project is the key issue. The traditional life cycle economical analysis is just a static calculation process. Uncertainty is the character of cassava yield, cost of cassava plant, cassava price, tax rate and gasoline price, and the economical performance of the project is determined by these aspects. This study proposes an economical model of cassava-based ethanol fuel. The method of Monte Carol is used to simulate the economical performance. This method conquers the shortage of the traditional way. The results show that cassava-based ethanol fuel can get survived when the tax is exempted. Finally, the study also evaluates the potential of the economical performance.

Probabilistic Analysis of Life Cycle Cost for Power Transformer

The selection of power transformer is very important to power sector. Most methods are utilized according to the initial cost and don’t consider the synthetical evaluation of economy and technology. Based on previous research, this paper addresses a new practical probabilistic life cycle cost model. Then, in order to demonstrate the practicability of probabilistic life cycle cost for the power transformer, illustrative investment alternatives of actual power transformers are discussed. From the result of the numerical investigation, it may be positively stated that the optimum investment alternative for the power transformer based on the probabilistic life cycle cost model proposed in this study will lead to a more rational, economical and effective procedure compared with the conventional method only considering the initial cost.

Application of Steel Fiber in Increasing the Strength, Life-Period and Reducing Overall Cost of Road Construction (by Minimizing the Thickness of Pavement)

Recently, the use of steel fiber at high rates has been introduced as the sole method of reinforcement for fully elevated-suspended slabs having long span such as 5 m to 8 m each way, with a span to depth ratio of up to 33 [1]. As a result of long practical experience the total replacement of traditional rebar is a new routine. Now it is also used in the designing of SFRC pavements over conventional concrete pavements. Within the project framework a demonstration of a steel-fiber-reinforced roller-compacted concrete (SFR-RCC) pavement was constructed in a rural as well as urban area. In order to assess the economical condition of the demonstration pavement, life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) studies were undertaken. This is the advancement study of the various papers which is already published in many publications which serve as the main and important source of study for the research. Many applications of steel fiber are listed in the paper but the main output of this paper is that SFR-RCC is more economically sustainable than others and also helps in reducing the thickness of the pavement up to 20 to 25 percent, due to the excessive strength of steel fiber. The roads of the present system required high cost investment. And the life period is almost 20 years theoretically but the actual life of the road is depending on the maintenance and the applied load. The constructions of road have been done since the 3500 BC but the method does not change fully. Also the cost of the construction is increased continuously;as a result, the construction of roads is more and more complicated and time taken. For the better and economical construction of the roads, we use steel fibers in the composite pavement. The theoretical plan of the construction of composite pavement is given in the methodology, which gives the appropriate idea about the construction of road using steel fiber. Here we use the composite pavement in which the steel fiber is mixed in the concrete layer, after which the bitumen layer is laid for the smooth and suitable riding of the vehicles.

A Case Study for End of Life Reuse and Recycling Survey Methodologies： The Hollentalanger Cottage

Up to now, reuse and recycling of existing buildings have not been examined widely. This paper discusses the theories, methods and practicalities of buildings＇ end of life with a main focus on planning and managing reuse and recycling of existing buildings. Our aim is the realistic modelling of theoretical scenarios for end of life based on a case study. The methods of building survey, material classification and documentation for reuse, recycling and disposal of existing constructions are presented. Investigations and calculations were done on an existing cottage in the Alps. The ecologically most beneficial disposal phase of the old wooden hut is our main objective. Critical questions arise from the quality of the material and how it can be extracted, separated and balanced in an appropriate way. A systematic survey of the building by inspection of constructions and materials in iterative steps allows a detailed material balance with condition and property information. This information is crucial for scenarios and material flow analysis of demolished and rebuilt building in environmental system analysis. For future planning, the reuse and recycling of existing buildings should be integrated quite early in the planning process so that we can use the materials in the best way.

Impact of Different Parameters on Life Cycle Analysis, Embodied Energy and Environmental Emissions for Wind Turbine System

Due to the rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves and increasing concern for climate change as a result of greenhouse gas effect, every country is looking for ways to develop eco-friendly renewable energy sources. Wind energy has become a good option due to its comparative economic advantages and environment friendly aspects. But there is always an ongoing debate if wind energy is as green as it seems to appear. Wind turbines once installed do not produce any greenhouse gases during operation, but it can and may produce significant emissions during manufacture, transport, installation and disposal stages. To determine the exact amount of emissions, it is necessary to consider all the stages for a wind turbine from manufacture to disposal. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is a technique that determines the energy consumption, emission of greenhouse gases and other environmental impacts of a product or system throughout the life cycle stages. The various approaches that have been used in the literature for the LCA of wind turbines have many discrepancies among the results, the main reason(s) being different investigators used different parameters and boundary conditions, and thus comparisons are difficult. In this paper, the influence of different parameters such as turbine size, technology (geared or gearbox less), recycling, medium of transport, different locations, orientation of the blade (horizontal or vertical), blade material, positioning of wind turbine (land, coastal or offshore), etc. on greenhouse gas emissions and embodied energy is studied using the available data from exhaustive search of literature. This provides tools to find better solutions for power production in an environmental friendly manner by selecting a proper blade orientation technique, with suitable blade material, technology, recycling techniques and suitable location.

Life cycle environmental impact assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and utilization in Northwestern Ontario,Canada

Biochar-based bioenergy production and sub- sequent land application of biochar can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by fixing atmospheric carbon into the soil for a long period of time. A thorough life cycle assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and biochar land application in Northwestern Ontario is conducted using SimaPro Ver. 8.1. The results of energy consumption and potential environmental impact of biochar-based bioenergy production system are compared with those of conventional coal-based system. Results show that biocbar land application consumes 4847.61 MJ per tonne dry feedstock more energy than conventional system, but reduces the GHG emissions by 68.19 kg CO2e per tonne of dry feed- stock in its life cycle. Biochar land application improves ecosystem quality by 18 %, reduces climate change by 15 %, and resource use by 13 % but may adversely impact on human health by increasing disability adjusted life years by 1.7 % if biomass availability is low to medium. Replacing fossil fuel with woody biomass has a positiveimpact on the environment, as one tonne of dry biomass feedstock when converted to biochar reduces up to 38 kg CO2e with biochar land application despite using more energy. These results will help understand a comprehensive picture of the new interventions in forestry businesses, which are promoting biochar-based bioenergy production.

Life Cycle Assessment of Recycling High-Density Polyethylene Plastic Waste

Increasing production and use of various novel plastics products,a low recycling rate,and lack of effective recycling/disposal methods have resulted in an exponential growth in plastic waste accumulation in landfills and in the environment.To better understand the effects of plastic waste,Life Cycle Analysis(LCA)was done to compare the effects of various production and disposal methods.LCA shows the specific effects of the cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle scenarios for landfill,incineration,and mechanical recycling.The analysis clearly indicates that increasing recycling of plastics can significantly save energy and eliminate harmful emissions of various carcinogens and GHGs into the environment.As recycling increases,the need for virgin-plastic production can be greatly reduced.Furthermore,the results of this study may help improve current mechanical recycling processes as well as potential future recycling methods,such as chemical recycling.Concerns about the current recycling/disposal methods for plastics have brought increasing attention to the waste accumulation problem.However,with the current COVID-19 pandemic,plastic accumulation is expected to increase significantly in the near future.A better understanding of the quantitative effects of the various disposal methods can help guide policies and future research toward effective solutions of the plastic waste problem.