Flat roofs renovation: a life cycle approach for environmental impact assessment and economic effectiveness

The high energy consumption caused by the building sector and the continuous growth and ageing of the existing housing stock show the importance of housing renovation to improve the quality of the environment. This research compares the environmental performance of flat roof systems (insulation, roofing membrane and covering layer) using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The aim is to give indications on how to improve the environmental performance of housing. This research uses a reference building located in the Netherlands and considers environmental impacts related to materials, energy consumption for heating and maintenance activities. It indicates impact scores for each material taking into account interconnections between the layers and between the different parts of the life cycle. It compares the environmental and economic performances of PV panels and of different materials and thermal resistance values for the insulation. These comparisons show that PV panels are convenient from an environmental and economic point of view. The same is true for the insulation layer, especially for materials as PIR (polyisocyanurate) and EPS (expanded polystyrene). It shows that energy consumption for heating causes a larger share of impact scores than production of the materials and maintenance activities. The insulation also causes larger impact scores comparing to roofing membrane and covering layer. The results show which materials are preferable for flat roof renovation and what causes the largest shares of impact. This gives indication to the roofers and to other stakeholders about how to reduce the environmental impact of the existing housing stock.

Environmental impact assessment of the School of Engineering and Architecture (Lazzaretto) - A pathway towards LEED certification

The current work has for object the improvement and the maintenance of the School of Engineering and Architecture in Via Terracini 28 (Bologna), with the prospective to maximize the operative efficiency reducing to the minimum the environmental impact and the costs. In order to realize this work the LEED certification has been used. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a certification system of the buildings. It was born in United States by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

Life cycle assessment in construction field: A life cycle cost analysis of reinforcement concrete bridge

The present work is included in the context of the assessment of sustainability in the construction field and is aimed at estimating and analyzing life cycle cost of the existing reinforced concrete bridge “Viadotto delle Capre” during its entire life. This was accomplished by a comprehensive data collection and results evaluation. In detail, the economic analysis of the project is performed. The work has investigated possible design alternatives for maintenance/rehabilitation and end-of-life operations, when structural, functional, economic and also environmental requirements have to be fulfilled. In detail, the economic impact of different design options for the given reinforced concrete bridge have been assessed, whereupon the most economically, structurally and environmentally efficient scenario was chosen. The Integrated Life-Cycle Analysis procedure and Environmental Impact Assessment were also discussed in this work. The scope of this thesis is to illustrate that Life Cycle Cost analysis as part of Life Cycle Assessment approach could be effectively used to drive the design and management strategy of new and existing structures. The final objective of this contribution is to show how an economic analysis can influence decision-making in the definition of the most sustainable design alternatives. The designers can monitor the economic impact of different design strategies in order to identify the most appropriate option.

Double Dyke System - Natural engineering solutions

According to various studies, the effects of climate change will be a danger to ecosystems and the population, especially in coastal areas, increasing the risk of floods. Authorities are taking action to prevent future disasters using traditional engineering solutions. These solutions can have high environmental and economic costs, fixing the coastline, increasing the salinization of aquifers, and can be subject to failure mechanisms. For this reason, studies were made to use natural engineering solutions for coastal protection, instead of traditional solutions, to achieve the UN SDGs. Coastal ecosystems have the natural ability to repair and restore themselves, increasing soil elevation, and attenuating waves. One of these solutions is the Double Dyke System, consisting of creating a salt marsh between the first dyke and a second inland. The goal is to protect the coasts and to restore ecosystems. The purpose of this study is to compare the costs of natural engineering solutions with traditional ones. It is assumed that these solutions may be more effective and less expensive in the long run. For this evaluation, a suitability analysis of the polders in the Dutch Zeeland region to assess the costs and benefits under different SLR scenarios was made. A saline intrusion model was also created to analyze the effects of a salt marsh on the aquifers. From the analyzes conducted, the implementation of the DDS turns out to be the cheapest coastal defense system in all SLR scenarios. The presence of a salt marsh could also have a positive impact on the prevention of saline intrusion in the various scenarios considered. The DDS could have a positive economic and environmental impact in the long term, reducing the investment costs for coastal defense and bringing important benefits for the protection of man and nature. Despite the results, more studies are needed on the efficiency of this defense system and on the economic evaluation of non-marketable ecosystem services.

Formulazione e caratterizzazione di idropitture con materie prime “Bio-Based”

The market for paint products with raw materials derived from renewable sources is growing rapidly in the building industry. When high performance in wet scrub resistance is required, “washable” paints are used. However, formulating products with Bio-Based raw materials generally results in a decrease in performances compared to similar products with raw materials from fossil sources. Therefore, a new formulation approach is needed to characterize polymeric binders from renewable sources and to consider the synergistic effects given by blends of polymeric binders of different origin and chemical structure. To date, the development of new formulations that imply less environmental impact is necessary if these products have to remain competitive in the marketplace. During the trainingship in IVAS S.p.A., washable paints with different PVC (Pigment Volume Concentration) were formulated and tested, evaluating whether the performance of paints with polymeric binders obtained from renewable sources was comparable to those with polymeric binders from fossil sources. The binders were chemically characterized by DSC, FT-IR and NMR analysis. Characterization tests of paints were focused on the evaluation of degree of whiteness, hiding power, dirt setting, and wet scrub resistance. Following the results obtained from the available binder combinations, it was possible to formulate two washable paints with comparable performances to those from fossil sources: paint A with 20 % of alkydic polymer and 80 % styrene/acrylic polymer and paint B with 40 % of alkydic polymer and 60 % styrene/acrylic polymer. Finally, the formulation was completed by adding the mainly Bio-Based derived additives generally used for this category of paints.