bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Life cycle cost reduction and market acceleration for new nearly zero-energy buildings
Authors: Weiß T , Pernetti R , Garzia F , Köhler B , Stobbe M , Meier K , Berggren B
Published: September 2019

Cost optimal and nearly zero-energy performance levels are principles initiated by the European Union’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which was recast in 2010. These will be significant drivers in the construction sector in the next few years because all new buildings in the EU from 2021 onwards have to be nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs); public buildings need to achieve the standard already by 2019 [1].While nZEBs realised so far have clearly shown that the nearly zero-energy target can be achieved using existing technologies and practices, most experts agree that a broad-scale shift towards nearly zero-energy buildings requires significant adjustments to current building market structures. Cost-effective integration of efficient solution sets and renewable energy systems are the major challenges [2]. The EU Horizon project CRAVEzero focuses on proven and new approaches to reduce the costs of nZEBs at all stages of the life cycle. The primary goal is to identify and eliminate the extra costs for nZEBs related to processes, technologies, building operation and to promote innovative business models considering the cost-effectiveness for all stakeholders in the building’s lifecycle. As a result, an international database for benchmarking actual nZEB life cycle costs (LCC) including urban and building planning, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, management, end-of-life, has been developed. Furthermore, an operative methodology to achieve the best conditions towards optimal cost nZEBs has been set-up.
Life-Cycle Costs of a Minimally Invasive Refurbishment Approach in Comparison to a Standard Refurbishment
Authors: Heidenthaler D , Gnigler M , Leeb M , Embacher M , Schweizer P
Published: September 2019

The decision on constructing or renovating buildings is often based on construction costs; consequently, follow-up costs are not considered. Life-cycle cost analysis is a common method for assessing the economic viability of buildings over their entire life-cycle. In this project, life-cycle costs of a minimally invasive refurbishment with component activation are compared with those of a standard refurbishment approach with an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) and radiators. Although the follow-up costs approximate the life-cycle costs after a period of 50 years in this analysis, the additional erection costs of the minimally invasive refurbishment approach cannot be compensated. In order for the system to become economically competitive, the erection costs regarding the façade system and the associated building technology must be reduced by 36 %, assuming that the nominal follow-up costs remain the same. Since the current implementation is still a prototypical one, cost-saving potential is expected on basis of the experience of the executing companies. However, in addition to the economic efficiency, the non-monetary added value of the system in the form of a more homogeneous heat output, more ecological building materials, less stress for the inhabitants due to the minimally invasive approach, reduced use of floor space and increased sound insulation due to the sound insulation façade, should also be taken into account in the decision-making process.
Energy and cost optimization in the life cycle of nearly zero energy buildings using parametric calculations
Authors: Venus D , Weiss T , Moser C , Hatt T , Ploß M , Roßkopf T
Published: September 2019

Possible cost saving potentials in the planning and construction of future building standards are often not sufficiently assessed, as only a few possible variants are considered in the traditional planning process. Often planning and analysis are not carried out in parallel, and the various possibilities are discarded at an early stage. If, on the other hand, several variants are realistically compared in the planning phase, including life-cycle costs, a profound decision can be made. Therefore parameter studies were carried out as part of the national research project “KoPro LZK+" (cost and process optimization in the life cycle of nearly zero energy buildings) for seven buildings, five multi-family buildings, a school and an office building. For this purpose, a VBA macro was programmed in MS-Excel©, which automatically carries out energy demand calculations in the “Passive House Planning Package” (PHPP) and life-cycle cost calculations in the tool “econ calc”. A total of more than 216, 000 variants were investigated in this way, whereby on the one hand a variety of technologies, such as insulation of the building envelope, ventilation or electricity and heat supply, and on the other hand a variation of the boundary conditions (such as observation period, user behaviour, energy price increases or CO2 costs) were carried out. The results were analysed energetically and economically over the life cycle (separately from each other and combined) with the objectives of identifying coherences, deriving trends and optimizations over the life cycle.
Challenges of retrofitting affordable housing to net-zero carbon in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Mokhtar A
Published: September 2019

Following the Paris Agreement, several governmental bodies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) started working on further initiatives to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Some of these hope to target net-zero carbon for new and existing buildings. As in most countries, the stock of existing buildings represents the bigger challenge for this target. In particular, existing affordable housing is the most challenging segment of the building stock. The limited access to expertise and financial resources makes it more difficult for owners of these buildings to retrofit them. Therefore, there need to be appropriate guidelines on how to achieve net-zero carbon in such building typology. This paper identifies both the technical and the financial challenges when trying to develop such guidelines within the context of the UAE. It also discusses the possible solutions that can be used to overcome some of these challenges. The technical challenges include the variation in construction systems, and the quality of construction for these buildings. It also includes energy modelling challenges such as selecting relevant weather data, and defining the patterns of using electricity for the different functions. The financial challenges include the subsidized price for electricity, the cost estimation for various energy conservation methods, and the payback for installing local renewable energy sources. Finally, the paper suggests a path for research activities to address these challenges and to develop the guidelines.
Towards developing a building typology for Sudan
Authors: Ismail Ahmed Ali S , Szalay Z
Published: September 2019

Sudan suffers from hard summers with temperatures approaching 42 0C in the South and 48 0C in the North. In spite of that, the technical solutions in buildings for protection against solar radiation and natural ventilation are generally beyond reach. There isn’t sufficient information provided on the characteristics of the building stock, building physics and energy use of buildings in Sudan. The main objective of this research paper is to collect the data from the population and housing census, scientific research papers and different reports, and to use these in preparing a building typology table. The climate in Sudan is divided into three zones: warm desert climate, warm semi-arid climate, and tropical savanna climate zone. The building varies according to the climate zones, geographical feature, and urbanization levels. Building materials range from natural ones like straw, wood, and mud to moderns one like bricks and concrete. Building typology varies from structures to provide temporary shelter to the permanent single or multi-family houses. The main result of this research paper is to identify a building typology in Sudan with reference buildings. This is the first paper that introduced the typology table of Sudan.
Design concept for prefabricated elements from CDW timber for a circurlar building
Authors: Klinge A , Roswag-Klinge E , Paganoni S , Radeljic L , Lehmann M
Published: September 2019

The EU funded project RE4 (REuse and REcycling of CDW materials and structures in energy efficient pREfabricated elements for building REfurbishment and construction) looks into opportunities for prefabricated, CDW timber elements (structural and non-structural) for circular buildings. Main goal is to minimise resource consumption for building construction but also waste generation related to building dismantling. An innovative design concept for a fully reversible, prefabricated, multi-story residential building from waste wood has been established that reflects robust but flexible and adaptable solutions to extend the buildings-life cycle. Reversible connections, reusable elements and recyclable materials shall minimise future waste generation, when such buildings reach their end of life. A prefabricated façade element manufactured for a two-story prototype shall deliver figures for easy installation, dismantling and future reuse. The study aims to show how current challenges can be overcome and design for disassembly can be promoted.
Prototypology for a circular building industry: the potential of re-used and recycled building materials
Authors: Heisel F , Schlesier K , Hebel D E
Published: September 2019

The growing scarcity of resources calls for a paradigm shift from linear material consumption to circular economy – especially in the construction industry. This shift involves a complete rethinking of design principles, materials, construction technics and technologies, as well as the introduction of new business models evolving from these reconfigurations within the field. This paper will show on-going research on these themes with a focus on direct material re-use and recycling through the discussion of a prototypology – the recently concluded Mehr.WERT.Pavillon (MWP) at the BUGA 2019 in Heilbronn. The research specifically addresses a reversible, mono-material structure that is made from re-used structural steel and recycled glass. The concept of cycles therefor is significant: Utilized materials are not consumed and disposed of; instead, they are borrowed from their material cycle for a certain period of time and later returned there at equal value and utility. Sourced from recycled materials, the prototypology is a built example of urban mining; designed for disassembly at the end of its service time, it also represents a material banks for future projects – while proofing the claim, that it is possible already today to build within a circular system.
The secret ingredient - the role of governance in green infrastructure development: through the examples of European cities
Authors: Körmöndi B , Tempfli J , Kocsis J B , Adams J , Szkordilisz F E
Published: September 2019

The first signs of considering green infrastructure in the process of urban planning appeared long before WWII with the developments of Chicago and Paris, for example, in the late 19th century. In order to relieve the increasingly crowded centres of fast-growing cities, the afforestation of public spaces and the creation of more liveable existing spaces became increasingly important; this includes the development and renovation of parks and water surfaces to adapt to urban needs and requirements, making the development of urban green infrastructure more important than in the past. Over time, green infrastructure developments grew more detailed and complex; since the end of the 20th century, they have become one of the most important goals of urban development, focusing on the environment and healthy living conditions. In the early stages of project development, the needs of urban residents and the active utilisation of green areas are factors of growing importance; refining design and construction has also become a more intricate process. Significant changes to the original style of plans has taken place over the past decades, evolving with the needs of the era and technological advances, requiring suitable action to maintain pace with enhanced developments.
Mitigation strategies of the urban heat island intensity in Mediterranean climates: simulation studies in Rome (Italy) and Valparaiso (Chile)
Authors: Palme M , Clemente C , Cellurale M , Carrasco C , Salvati A
Published: September 2019

The Urbanocene, a proposed new geological epoch characterized by the urban living condition, is pressing the humanity to respond shortly to important challenges. Cities are at the same time the places where we live in and the big dissipators of the final energy to the environment. The simultaneous rules of heat dissipator and place to live are quite contradictory, because of the increasing temperatures of the dissipator surfaces, phenomenon known as Urban Heat Island (UHI). Mediterranean climates should suffer, in the next years, changes in the thermal needs of buildings and in the outdoor comfort sensations. A change in the energy demand from heating to cooling is probable and overheating reduction could be a priority in the future. Many mitigation strategies of UHI are being discussed in these years, such as the city greening, the use of cool materials for roofs and soils, the reduction of automobile dependence, the shift to new urban morphologies. In this paper an evaluation of impacts of different possible strategies is done, by using computational simulations for various sectors of Rome and Valparaiso. Results show the importance of greening and traffic reduction to achieve better comfort; while to reduce building energy consumption changes in urban morphology and traffic are suggested as the best strategies.
Critical analysis of environmental benchmarks for buildings
Authors: Trigaux D , Allacker K , Debacker W
Published: September 2019

To reduce the environmental impact of the building sector, environmental targets should be defined considering the full life cycle of buildings. In recent years various benchmarks based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) have been developed as part of regulations, labelling systems and sustainability rating tools. This paper presents the results of a critical analysis of six existing benchmarking systems. An overview is given of the different benchmark approaches, scope, applications and communication. The strengths and weaknesses of the various systems are highlighted. Based on the analysis, recommendations are formulated for the development of future LCA benchmarks for the building sector.
The effect of insulation thickness on lifetime CO2 emissions
Authors: Totland M , Kvande T , Bohne R A
Published: September 2019

This paper assesses the total carbon emissions of a single-family home designed and built for Norwegian conditions, according to current standards (TEK 17), using an LCA approach. Various combinations of insulation thicknesses are assessed to identify which combination is most efficient in lowering the lifetime emissions as well as in which part of the building envelope additional insulation is most efficient in reducing the lifetime greenhouse gas emissions of the building. Overall, increased insulation resulted in lower lifetime emissions; the increased embodied emissions generally being outweighed by the energy savings resulting from the increased insulation thickness. The location of the insulation is the factor that was found to have the largest impact on the lifetime emissions. When increasing the insulation thickness from 100-500 mm, changing only one component at a time, the operational emissions were most sensitive to the insulation thickness in the walls, with a 26 % decrease compared to 7% and 3% for the roof and floor respectively. The most efficient cases tended to have little insulation in the floor (100 - 150 mm) and relatively high insulation thickness in the wall (350 mm). The most variable component was the roof, varying from 150 to 400 mm.
Surface-to-volume ratio: How building geometry impacts solar energy production and heat gain through envelopes
Authors: Araji M T
Published: September 2019

This paper explored the relationship between building geometry and renewable energy production of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Heat gain was incorporated as a conflicting constraint with respect to energy performance. The building façade was mathematically analyzed by taking into account heat transfer pertaining to site conditions along with different parameters that included shading, orientation, PV tilts (β) and surface-to-volume ratio (S/V) as a measure of building compactness. The study involved calculating the impact of each parameter on the convection, conduction and radiation components of the incoming solar energy. S/V was shown to be directly proportional to the amount of solar energy received by the façades and gained by the building in the form of heat. The positive correlation of heat gain with S/V was nearly linear with a slope of around 41.8 kWh/m2/m−1 and a mean of approximately 3.4 times more. With the most suitable geometry in terms of net energy gain, S/V of 0.14 m
−1 yielded the highest difference between energy production and heat gain. In terms of β, the results demonstrated negative slope of energy production with respect to the tilt at about 2.12 times higher than that displayed by heat gain. Accounting for inter-building effects, a shading reduction equal to d percent can be estimated to an increase of 1.37d degrees in β at a building consumption of 60 kWh/m2.
Comparison of the environmental assessment of an identical office building with national methods
Authors: Frischknecht R , Birgisdottir H , Chae C-U , Lützkendorf T , Passer A , Alsema E , Balouktsi M , Berg B , Dowdell D , García Martínez A , Habert G , Hollberg A , König H , Lasvaux S , Llatas C , Nygaard Rasmussen F , Peuportier B , Ramseier L , Röck M , Soust Verdaguer B , Szalay Z , Bohne R A , Bragança L , Cellura M , Chau C K , Dixit M , Francart N , Gomes V , Huang L , Longo S , Lupíšek A , Martel J , Mateus R , Ouellet-Plamondon C , Pomponi F , Ryklová P , Trigaux D , Yang W
Published: September 2019

The IEA EBC Annex 72 focuses on the assessment of the primary energy demand, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts of buildings during production, construction, use (including repair and replacement) and end of life (dismantling), i.e. during the entire life cycle of buildings. In one of its activities, reference buildings (size, materialisation, operational energy demand, etc.) were defined on which the existing national assessment methods are applied using national (if available) databases and (national/regional) approaches. The “be2226” office building in Lustenau, Austria was selected as one of the reference buildings. TU Graz established a BIM model and quantified the amount of building elements as well as construction materials required and the operational energy demand. The building assessment was carried out using the same material and energy demand but applying the LCA approach used in the different countries represented by the participating Annex experts. The results of these assessments are compared in view of identifying major discrepancies. Preliminary findings show that the greenhouse gas emissions per kg of building material differ up to a factor of two and more. Major differences in the building assessments are observed in the transports to the construction site (imports) and the construction activities as well as in the greenhouse gas emissions of the operational energy demand (electricity). The experts document their practical difficulties and how they overcame them. The results of this activity are used to better target harmonisation efforts.
The BNK Assessment Tool for the sustainability performance of small residential buildings in Germany – Lessons learnt
Authors: Essig N
Published: September 2019

Several instruments for the assessment of the sustainable building performance such as BREEAM (Great Britain), LEED (USA) and DGNB or BNB (Germany) have been developed in the last years. These methodologies have the same intent - advancement of the sustainable building performance. These systems focus mostly on commercial buildings. However the sustainability assessment of the residential sector is getting more important. Giving that around 115, 000 owner-occupied detached houses are built up per year in Germany, a new assessment method (BNK system) for small residential houses was developed on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) in 2015. To ensure the suitability of the assessment system, the BNK method was tested in a pilot phase and from 2016 on it is available for general use and the assessment is financially supported by public funds (KfW Banking Group). To date more than 100 of small residential buildings have been certified with BNK. This paper will show the development and experience with the sustainability assessment of buildings in Germany in general, as well as the intents, indicators and real case projects of the BNK-Tool for small residential buildings (up to five dwelling units) and its further development.
Process model for BIM-based MEP design
Authors: Parti R , Hauer S , Monsberger M
Published: September 2019

Planning quality is a key aspect for the development of sustainable buildings. This particularly applies to mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems, which have a high impact on the building performance. The design of these systems considerably affects construction and operational costs. Moreover, it has a substantial impact on the consumption of resources such as energy or water and also on the building quality in terms of user satisfaction. Building information modeling (BIM) is a method capable of substantially improving the quality of MEP design. This requires adequate component models as well as processes describing the proper use of these models in a BIM project. This paper presents a Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) model which describes the required interactions between project stakeholders during the design phase of a geothermal heat pump system. It describes the roles, tasks and responsibilities of the involved stakeholders and outlines which kind of information is required from whom at which point of time. The specific activities of the stakeholders are linked by information flows. In addition to the process model, a set of parameters describing a heat pump is presented. The parameters can be used as attributes in a BIM model. Each parameter is assigned to the design phase in which it is needed for the first time. This establishes a link between the attributes in the BIM model and the process model. Both, the process model and the parameter set were evaluated by MEP experts.
The practical use of module D in a building case study: assumptions, limitations and methodological issues
Authors: Delem L , Wastiels L
Published: September 2019

According to the EN 15804 and EN 15978, a material or building life cycle consists of three major life cycle stages or so-called modules: Production and Construction (module A), Use (module B) and End-of-life (module C). Potential benefits and loads occurring beyond the building’s life cycle as a result of recycling, reuse or energy recovery can be declared in an additional module D. As part of the upcoming amendment of the EN 15804 a formula was developed to facilitate the calculation of module D. This paper provides a critical discussion on the practical use of module D. First of all, the development of the formula revealed specific methodological issues, such as the unequal approach to closed and open loop recycling. Secondly, the consideration of module D in a Belgian building LCA case study provided insights in the different methodological choices, interpretations, and assumptions related to the calculation of module D. This concerns for example the calculation of net output flows of secondary materials, modelling of avoided primary production, definition of the point of functional equivalence, efficiency of incineration, etc. Aspects that are not clearly specified in the standard and therefore can be open to interpretation are illustrated with concrete examples from the building case study. Where possible, recommendations for a harmonized approach are made. In any way, the results from the case study analysis reveal that the methodological choices can have a significant effect on the results and that module D results should therefore be considered with care.
Reconciling recycling at production stage and end of life stage in EN 15804: the case of metal construction products
Authors: Leroy C , Avery N , Tikana L , Grund S
Published: September 2019

With the current political focus on resource efficiency and circular economy, the consideration of all recycling aspects in LCA is becoming increasingly important, especially for metal products which are already recycled for many decades. For such purpose, a complementary module, the so-called Module D, was developed in EN15804 to report the additional environmental aspects resulting from the end of life stage. The metal industry and many LCA practitioners have already used this module for many years. This module D as well as module C (end of life stage) are now mandatory in the agreed amendments to EN15804 that will be published in 2019. This paper explains the methodology used by the metal industry to calculate modules A, C & D for a metal sheet in the light of the equation to be included in the amended EN15804. The calculation is then applied to 3 theoretical examples. Finally, the paper provides guidance on using LCI datasets developed by the steel and aluminium sectors. The collaborating authors have prepared this paper under the auspices of the METALS FOR BUILDINGS alliance that has been established to ensure reliable information on the sustainability of metal building products is available to policy makers and practitioners in sustainability appraisal policies and systems.
Enhancing consistency in consequential life cycle inventory through material flow analysis
Authors: Cordier S , Robichaud F , Blanchet P , Amor B
Published: September 2019

Wood products are gaining interest in the building sector, due to their potential in sequestering greenhouse gas emissions. However, increasing wood materials use in the built market can have unforeseen changes in the material supply chains. Consequential Life Cycle Assessment (CLCA) allows the assessment of changes in material supply chain. To quantify and link those consequences, the affected physical flows need to be estimated. Material Flow Analysis (MFA) can bring to CLCA modelling more representative and quantitative information than the commonly used hypothesis in consequential modelling. Indeed, MFA considers physical constraints (technology performances and material availability), in addition to account for mass balance. The main objective of this presentation is to illustrate how such consistency is added to CLCA through an MFA of wood products in non-residential (NR) buildings in the province of Québec (Canada). Wood flows are tracked to identify their end-use markets and trends in consumption. To overcome the lack of data and bring insights on the sector’s dynamics, such as stock variations and potential discarded flows that supply recycling markets, residence time model and also extrapolation and correlation between physical and economic parameters are used. Results show how flows can increase in the market before reaching their physical constraints, such as the available wood stock in the forest. These insights will significantly enhance the data collection for CLCA. In conclusion, the MFA brings support to CLCA by proposing a framework to model changes in the construction market.
Diagnosis of uncertainty treatment in neighbourhood life cycle assessments
Authors: Zara O O C , Guimarães G D , Gomes V
Published: September 2019

Urban areas are complex, multifunctional, long-lasting dynamic systems responsible for impressive resource consumption and environmental impacts. Assessments at the neighbourhood scale offers an important complexity compromise. This paper scrutinizes approaches for handling uncertainty analysis (UA) and sensitivity analysis (SA) in LCAs at the neighbourhood scale, aiming at identifying inconsistencies, limitations and challenges, and supporting the development of assessment guidelines. A systematic literature review was performed. Results from the final 35-paper sample show that only one-third of the papers actually performed some calculation. Two of the most recent ones used Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, whilst SA was mainly carried out through scenarios. Despite no clear trend is shown, this may indicate attempts to also apply MC at the neighbourhood scale. The basic quest in UA and SA, particularly global sensitivity analysis, is to balance quality and completeness of output information and computational force needed. Automating calculations, using lighter sampling methods and fast calculators should be further investigated. Finally, future studies could also focus on defining a minimum group of parameters to investigate and on which strategy to follow in specific data availability circumstances. Fuzzy sets seem better for environmental assessments with high degree of uncertainties and probabilistic distributions give results that are more precise. Dynamic models, future scenario uncertainty and spatial uncertainties propagation should also be further explored once the basic challenges for uncertainty assessment are overcome.
The regenerative building: A concept of total sustainability
Authors: Gambato C , Zerbi S
Published: September 2019

The concept of building’s sustainability is progressively evolving, from the mere issues of limiting the energy needs of the building, extends to include new areas. The long-term sustainability visions (in Switzerland the “2000 W Society” by year 2100) imply not only technological changes but above all radical changes in the human behaviour. A multidisciplinary study, carried out by SUPSI and specialists, proposes a method for determining the parameters for the design of a building by year 2100. It also shows that in order to achieve long-term sustainability goals (primary energy reduction and CO2 emissions per capita, 2000 W and max 1 ton CO2), alimentation can be considered as a building need. The high potential in reducing primary energy needs in this area makes possible to compensate others energy consumptions and CO2 emissions of the building inhabitants and of the building itself. The sustainable building of the future shall therefore: - present a zero or compensated operating energy need; - present minimal energy need for construction; - allow food production (Urban Farming, Building Integrated Agriculture) through natural and regenerative agriculture (self-production); - promote and act as a shelter for local flora and fauna (regenerative); - respect the soil stratigraphy (reversible).
HYBRIDisation – a resilient strategy in times of change and transformation
Authors: Schwehr P , Schuchert C L , Winterberger F
Published: September 2019

Our built environment consists of spaces, buildings, and cities that are subject to ever-changing social, economic, ecological and cultural demands. The demand for high quality living space is becoming ever more significant for densifying urban areas. When lifestyles, modes of working and recreational activities intertwine, new concepts on all scales must follow. Consideration of resilience of all kinds is becoming an important part of planning. It requires typologies with resilient characteristics, which can also take on new tasks perhaps not yet known of today. This paper recognises such a typology in the hybrid. Hybrids possess a variety of characteristics and benchmark parameters. A code inherent in them renders them capable of reacting to various situations and differing requirements. Depending on its constitution and purpose, the hybrid code affects a variety of architecturally relevant, environmental levels, namely district, neighbourhood, building, unit, components, infrastructure and processes. “Hybridisation” describes the process of the deliberate application of this code on all levels (“design and injection”), albeit also its decoding, i.e. activation of processes of change. In this way “new genetic alliances” are created, in which differing hybrids interact. By offering advanced adaptability through HYBRIDisation, buildings become resilient to change and allow for diverse modification and development throughout their lifespan, resulting in improved learning ability. This paper explores strategies of HYBRIDisation and the consequences for the interlinked levels to enable hybrid and resilient levels of environment.
“PET tool” – a software tool for lightweight extensive green roofs performance analyses
Authors: Arkar C , Domjan S , Majkovič D , Šumi J , Medved S
Published: September 2019

Due to energy, environmental, and social benefits, green roofs are recognized as a bioclimatic technology and sustainable construction systems and are becoming a predominant solution in connection with urban planning and building envelope retrofitting. To support design and marketing of Urbanscape® lightweight extensive green roofs a special software tool was developed, which is presented in the paper. Performance evaluation tool (PET tool) is validated based on extensive and continuous 5-years in-situ monitoring of thermal and hydrological response of different Urbanscape green roofs. The key performance indicators of Urbanscape green roofs are evaluated based on calculated thermal and hydrological response. To emphasize the advantages of green roofs thermal response and performance indicators are determined also for non-vegetated roof for the same boundary conditions. PET tool enables i) evaluation of Urbanscape green roofs’ whole year thermal and hydrological response, ii) to search for the optimal design of the Urbanscape green roof system in terms of energy and water performance, iii) evaluation of comparative advantages compared to non-vegetated roof, iv) energy savings and CO2 emission reduction analyses for heating and cooling season. Analyses can be made for arbitrary worldwide climate conditions since meteorological parameters are gathered from Meteonorm database.
Building physics design of urban surfaces
Authors: Leistner P , Kaufmann A , Koehler M , Würth M , Hofbauer W K , Dittrich S
Published: September 2019

Structural-spatial form and urban land use are among the main transformative fields of action of cities. Quality of life and environment, identity and individuality as well as participation in local society are significantly influenced by urban surfaces. Most urban surfaces have so far been designed for the long-term fulfilment of individual purposes, but offer greater scope for design in terms of functionality and adaptability, quality and efficiency. It therefore makes sense to develop, evaluate, technologically expand and test the potential of urban surfaces in terms of building physics as a whole. In view of growing stress on urban structures due to climate-induced influences, such as flooding, extreme weather conditions or heat islands, new possibilities, processes, systems or materials are needed to improve resilience. The article presents exemplary developments that can be supplemented and combined. Hydroactive surfaces can buffer rainwater and release it with a time delay to reduce heat and flooding equally. Green façades improve city climate and air quality. Sound-absorbing façades reduce inner-city noise. Innovative transparent foil enclosures provide equally visibility and an optimum weather protection of objects to be protected throughout the year.
Sustainability of innovative urban surfaces – a new approach of assessment
Authors: Henzler K , Horn R , Jäger M , Maier S D
Published: September 2019

The physical design of urban surfaces determines the management processes that are required to ensure that their intended functions are fulfilled within a set period of time and influences their linked material flows. Those flows are causing numerous environmental, economic, and social impacts. In the field of urban surfaces, there is a broad variety of innovations available that has the potential to contribute to a more sustainable environment and quality of life in cities. However, before implementing any kind of innovation, it is important to quantitatively and qualitatively assess its sustainability impacts in a holistic manner. While current assessment methods provide a suitable framework for the sustainability assessment of products and services, without modification, they cannot be applied to urban surfaces and related management processes.

The herein introduced methodological approach is designed to overcome this problem by not only being tailored to the sustainability assessment of innovations in the field of urban surfaces but also by combining life cycle thinking with a holistic approach. By integrating SDGs, it will provide insight into the possible impacts of an innovation in all three dimensions of sustainability at the municipal level. This knowledge can be used to support the municipality in its decision on the design of urban surfaces and management processes by showing whether or not it is advisable to implement an innovation from a sustainability point of view. The focus of this publication is on the development of a general life cycle of urban surfaces and its interaction with product innovations.
Land resource management of coastal areas in Indian cities: comparative assessment with prevailing methods
Authors: Dhiman R , Kalbar P , Inamdar A
Published: September 2019

Indian coastal cities, enriched with a variety of marine resources, are a major driver of economic growth where the Indian coast provides shelter to a large part (∼49%) of the total population in India. Proper planning of coastal resources is crucial for sustainable development, which can be achieved through advanced planning methods. Current methods for the planning of coastal landscapes in Indian coastal cities are ineffective in sustainable utilization of coastal resources and need improvements. This paper evaluates the application of the new planning method for classification of coastal landscapes in Mumbai city. The new method incorporates geospatial technology and multicriteria decision-making approach. The existing method of coastal area classification is based on Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notifications by the central government, which has ambiguities in implementation. In the new method, coastal areas of Mumbai city are classified based on the physical eligibility of the coast for management of coastal resources and spatially compared with prevailing unscientific classification of coastal areas. The most dense urban area is considered for quantitative comparison of prevailing and new classification approach. Results of coastal area classifications by both methods disclosed the significant differences among different classes of coastal land. The results are validated with field visits and ground truthing along the coast of Mumbai. The findings of this study will enable the stakeholders to utilize available coastal land resources in an efficient manner for developmental and conservational activities at regional and neighborhood scale.
Seismic and solar performance of historical city Urban form-based multicriteria analysis
Authors: D’Amico A , Morganti M
Published: September 2019

The understanding of the global performance of a historical city is a complex balance of several specific issues and requires a multi-disciplinary approach to face with actual urban phenomena and challenges, such as the seismic risk and energy efficiency, that are strongly influenced by urban form. This paper focuses on the potential of urban metrics and typological indicators for describing the seismic vulnerability and the solar radiation availability of distinct urban textures, and the correlation between the two aspects. Comparative analysis at fabric scale was conducted on the historical centre of Rieti (Latium, Italy), to underline the main seismic and solar indicators. In the last decade, we witnessed the spreading of urban scale assessment and analysis tools, but seldom using an integrated approach to face the complexity of the historical city. Relying on morpho-typological indicators, the proposed method characterizes the fabrics in terms of seismic vulnerability and solar availability through a multicriteria analysis. The analysis reveals substantial differences between fabrics using three groups of indicators: Plan, Space and Analysis-oriented. Each group describes different features of the urban fabrics that affect seismic and solar performance and suggests improvement strategies. The purpose is to support policymaker and designer in the urban renovation process.
Integration of multiple methodologies to evaluate effects of Nature Based Solutions on urban climate mitigation and adaptation
Authors: López A , Mabe L , Cantergiani C
Published: September 2019

Nature Based Solutions contribute both to mitigate and to adapt the cities to the impacts caused by climate change at urban level. Several methods and tools exist for assessing each strategy. However, none of them allow to cover the whole steps included from analyzing climate trends that could affect the cities, to NBS effectiveness. This paper reviews and classifies existing methods according to the relevant steps of climate resilience and NBS effectiveness, and a combination of various of those methods is presented in a practical case study. Bottom-up city energy, economic and environmental modelling have been performed to understand mitigation effects of NBS implementation at building and neighborhood level. Urban hydrodynamics and fluid dynamics have been modelled too, allowing the estimation of the adaptation effectiveness of the NBS scenarios in flooding and temperatures reduction respectively. Moreover, city vulnerability and urban risks, considering IPCC scenarios regarding climate trends, have been assessed to understand the areas of the city more vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Results show that strategies and climate hazards has been worked in a split way and there is a need to connect better mitigation and adaptation information to facilitate the municipalities taking robust decisions regarding the NBS implementation.
Life Cycle Assessment of Alternative Road Base Materials: the Case of Phosphogypsum
Authors: Saadé-Sbeih M , Feraille A , Alaoui Soulimani A
Published: September 2019

Phosphogypsum (PG) is the most abundant by-product generated by the phosphate fertilizer industry. Formed during the production of phosphoric acid from natural phosphate rock, PG is mostly disposed in stacks or released into coastal regions’ waters. Due to the expected increase in the world PG production – currently estimated to be around 250 Mt per year – and the environmental impacts of actual waste management scenarios, there is a call for a paradigm shift, by considering PG not as a waste but as a resource. About 15% of the total PG production is nowadays used as fertilizer, retarder, road base material or building material. The load of radionucleids and heavy metals contained in PG however questions the sustainability of such valorization routes. This paper aims to compare the environmental impacts of different PG valorization scenarios through life cycle assessment. Based on Moroccan conditions for phosphoric acid production, it discusses the key parameters influencing the assessment as well as assumptions regarding the allocation of emissions and resource use over PG and phosphoric acid.
Considering the dynamics of electricity demand and production for the environmental benchmark of Swiss residential buildings that exclusively use electricity
Authors: Beloin-Saint-Pierre D , Padey P , Périsset B , Medici V
Published: September 2019

The environmental impacts of buildings can significantly vary with the dynamics of their energy demand and production. Significant variations have been modelled for buildings in the U.S., France, Denmark and Switzerland but the levels of variation are different between these countries. This difference can be explained by factors like the existing energy sources, the availability of renewable energy and the importation of electricity from nearby countries. With its high share of renewable energy and significant electricity exchanges with neighbouring countries, Switzerland presents a specific case where benchmark values from dynamic life cycle assessment should be well understood. The project’s goal is to provide results from a dynamic life cycle assessment with a detailed study of the influence from temporal fluctuations in the national electricity production, electricity imports, decentralised generation and electricity demand from buildings. Additionally, consequences of changing the temporal precision (i.e. hourly, daily, monthly and annual) of energy dynamics are analysed. This assessment is conducted with demand and production estimations for the design of a residential building in Switzerland. Disparities of results are assessed for all temporal precision levels with a comparison to the values that are obtained with the current national methodology which operates with values based on average annual electricity production. Results thus suggest some methodological recommendations to develop the temporal aspects of the environmental impact assessment methodology for the Swiss building sector.
Step-by-step implementation of BIM-LCA: A case study analysis associating defined construction phases with their respective environmental impacts
Authors: Di Bari R , Jorgji O , Horn R , Gantner J , Ebertshäuser S
Published: September 2019

Building Information Modelling (BIM) supports construction processes by dealing with the variety and complexity of design in a single virtual model. The model may also be complemented by the static and energy performance of buildings. Facing the growing demand of sustainability strategies in the construction sector, the consideration of environmental information within the planning process influences the decision making of planners and stakeholders. Nevertheless, the life cycle assessment of buildings has been so far excluded in BIM, due to the high variety of accurate information and time required. In this paper, a systematic framework is presented and applied to a case study. BIM-LCA assists actors along the planning and designing phase, from the building conception as a whole, up to the elements’ details and materials’ definition. BIM and LCA intertwine in an application scheme of seven phases for integral planning and four levels of structural composition of a building. With respect to these, involved actors examine potential solutions through a tool which exploits alternative specifications in order to assess the environmental impacts. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the application of a BIM-LCA model regarding decision making for reliable values of environmental impact in a given structural level of the building. The main findings of this framework are due to the multitude of actors and information orchestrated, namely to uncertainties which characterize the whole planning process and data handling. Through BIMLCA, actors are assisted by ensuring flexibility of models and consistency of results throughout planning and designing.