Scientific African (Sep 2023)
Optimising the material emissions of single-dwelling residential buildings using the dynamic life cycle iteration protocols
Abstract
While developed countries progress in environmental impact mitigation, developing economies struggle to lessen the severity of environmental impact and improve performance strategies. As of 2021, only 199 research publications were linked to African Life Cycle Assessment investigations highlighting the environmental consequences and lack of research in developing countries. In 2022 Ghana's global environmental performance was ranked 170th out of 180 countries, with a score of 27.70 out of 100, showing a ten-year trend of -6.1. This study aimed to optimise single-dwelling residential buildings' material emissions from cradle to gate using first principles through the dynamic life cycle iteration protocols. The following objectives were set: 1) to identify the primary materials in a typical Ghanaian single-family dwelling and apply first principles to model the environmental impact, and 2) to replace the materials with an environmentally friendly type through iteration optimisation. The Building Information Modelling in Revit 2021 was used to design and take off quantities of the materials. The optimisation was conducted through iterations using MS Excel. The baseline model showed that steel and aluminium products generated frontal results of 28.64 ton CO2eq/m2 and 1.96 ton CO2eq/m2, representing 92% and 6% of the total GWP100, respectively. A decrease of 39% in GWP100 emissions was made possible by employing concrete blocks instead of expandable lightweight concrete clay blocks. It is noteworthy that gypsum plasterboard had the lowest material impact across the GWP100, emitting 1895.40 kgCO2eq/m2, or 0.81 percent carbon, during the production phase. The results of this study can aid the many real estate developers and construction firms in developing nations who want to build residential homes using sustainable materials to lessen the effects of climate change caused by using building materials.
