The sustainability of society is interrelated with improving the sustainability of the built environment. In this scenario, public buildings have a lasting influence on society throughout their life cycle, with significant environmental and economic impacts, particularly during the usage, operation, and maintenance phases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential environmental and economic impacts on the flooring system over the reference period of 30 years, taking into account three alternatives (wood, ceramic, and vinyl) applied in the replacement phase of a public educational building located in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In addition to encompassing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): (SDG 11) Sustainable cities and communities, (SDG 12) Responsible consumption and production; (SDG 13) Action against global climate change—referring to the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda, the research method includes applying the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) tools following national and international regulations. Tools are used with the assistance of OpenLCA and Excel software. The results demonstrate disparities in the integrated LCA-LCC analysis among the different alternatives. Ceramic flooring achieves low costs but has the most significant environmental impact. While wooden flooring has the best environmental results, vinyl flooring has the highest economic costs. Thus, the discussion seeks to provide conscious and balanced choices in flooring alternatives for technical managers in the public sector to make decisions.

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Integrated Environmental and Economic Assessment for the Replacement of the Flooring System in a Public Educational Building

  • Bárbara Pretto Biasi,
  • Constance Manfredini,
  • Ana Carolina Passuello,
  • Robert J. Ries

摘要

The sustainability of society is interrelated with improving the sustainability of the built environment. In this scenario, public buildings have a lasting influence on society throughout their life cycle, with significant environmental and economic impacts, particularly during the usage, operation, and maintenance phases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential environmental and economic impacts on the flooring system over the reference period of 30 years, taking into account three alternatives (wood, ceramic, and vinyl) applied in the replacement phase of a public educational building located in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In addition to encompassing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): (SDG 11) Sustainable cities and communities, (SDG 12) Responsible consumption and production; (SDG 13) Action against global climate change—referring to the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda, the research method includes applying the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) tools following national and international regulations. Tools are used with the assistance of OpenLCA and Excel software. The results demonstrate disparities in the integrated LCA-LCC analysis among the different alternatives. Ceramic flooring achieves low costs but has the most significant environmental impact. While wooden flooring has the best environmental results, vinyl flooring has the highest economic costs. Thus, the discussion seeks to provide conscious and balanced choices in flooring alternatives for technical managers in the public sector to make decisions.