## 3 Results and Discussion
### Life Cycle Analysis  
Table 7 shows the comparison results between the different masonry construction methods in a home. The following images (Figures 7 and 8) quantify the environmental impact of the most significant activities involved in the production and construction phases. According to the indicators, considering the home construction stage, the environmental impact decreases with the newly proposed alternative. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Material** & **Parameter** & **Option 1** & **Option 2** & **Reduction** \\ \hline Beams & Area (cm\({}^{2}\)) & 750 & 625 & 16.67\% \\ Columns & Area (cm\({}^{2}\)) & 900 & 625 & 30.55\% \\ Plinths & Area (cm\({}^{2}\)) & 24,266.67 & 20,216.67 & 16.69\% \\ Stabs & t (cm) & 20 & 20 & 0.00\% \\ Stairs & t (cm) & 25 & 25 & 0.00\% \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 6: Reduction percentage in structural elements. In the climate change indicator--GWP100 (climate change), as shown in Figure 7a, a total of 15,041.87 and 10,824.00 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-Eq. was obtained for the case of traditional and non-traditional housing, respectively. In comparison, this means a difference of 39% in CO\({}_{2}\) emissions. Clinker production turned out to be the process that generated the most significant environmental load, representing a total of 53% (traditional housing) and 47% (non-traditional housing). These results were obtained since, when making cement, clinker production intervenes, contributing to 92% of CO\({}_{2}\) emissions and 91% of the energy consumed, according to a study of said system carried out in Ecuador [37]. In this procedure, calcination, the burning of fossil fuels, and electrical energy consumption are considered [38]. On the other hand, another of the processes that generate the emission of CO\({}_{2}\), the most prominent component of global warming, is the production of steel, because the furnaces used for its manufacture use temperatures around 1500 \({}^{\circ}\)C to carry out their calcination, generating the release of dry dust and greenhouse gases [39]. In the freshwater eutrophication--FEP indicator (Figure 7b), a total of 2.046 and 1.836 kg P-Eq. were obtained for the case of traditional and non-traditional housing, respectively. In this case, a difference of 54% in P (phosphorus) emissions was achieved. The treatment of waste from mining extraction is the process that is highlighted, representing 45% (traditional housing) and 43% (non-traditional housing). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Environmental Indicator** & **Option 1** & **Option 2** & **Unit** \\ \hline Climate change—GWP100 & 15,041.867 & 10,824.000 & kg CO\({}_{2}\)-Eq \\ Terrestrial acidification—TAP100 & 54.915 & 35.609 & kg P-Eq \\ Freshwater eutrophication—FEP & 2.046 & 1.836 & kg SO\({}_{2}\)-Eq \\ Marine eutrophication—MEP & 3.332 & 2.197 & kg N-Eq \\ Photochemical oxidant formation—POFP & 70.396 & 52.657 & kg NMVOC-Eq \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 7: Results of environmental loads for both houses (traditional and non-traditional). Figure 7: (a) Processes involved in the environmental impact of the climate change—GWP100 indicator; (b) processes involved in the environmental impact of the freshwater eutrophication—FEP indicator. In the terrestrial acidification category--TAP100 (Soil Acidification), as shown in Figure 8a, a total of 54.915 and 35.609 kg SO\({}_{2}\)-Eq. were obtained for the case of traditional and non-traditional housing, respectively. There is a difference of 54% in SO\({}_{2}\) emissions between the construction methods analyzed. The most significant contributor to this impact is the clinker production, representing 17% and 16% of the total impact analyzed. Because the clinker is the main cement component (used in concrete for the construction of structural elements), its production generates high emissions of SO\({}_{2}\) to the environment due to the combustion of a considerable amount of fossil fuels, which is quantified in the use of 71.24 kWh to produce 1 ton of clinker [28].