Environmental Implications of Using Bio-based Materials in New Construction in Aalborg, Denmark
Authors
Jørgensen, Jerwin Repayo Amorsen ; Lagodzka, Ewa Katarzyna
Term
4. Term
Education
Publication year
2024
Abstract
Rapporten undersøger de miljømæssige konsekvenser af tre byggemetoder—mineralbaseret, træbaseret og biobaseret—på fire bygningstyper: enfamiliehus, rækkehus, etagebyggeri og kontorbygning. For at nå frem til resultaterne blev der brugt flere metoder: interviews, livscyklusvurdering (LCA) med værktøjet LCAbyg og beregninger af kulstoflagring i materialer. Globalt opvarmningspotentiale (GWP), som angiver hvor meget en løsning bidrager til klimaforandringer, blev anvendt til at sammenligne mulighederne. Resultaterne viser, at mineralbaseret byggeri har den højeste GWP, mens biobaseret byggeri—bestående af tømmerkonstruktion og enggræs som isolering—har den laveste påvirkning. Beregningerne indikerer, at hvis Aalborg udelukkende skulle bygge biobaseret, ville der være behov for 85 411 m³ træ om året. Det svarer til en årlig bæredygtig hugst fra 3.95 km² skov eller 197.5 km² over 50 år i en bæredygtig cyklus. Desuden viser resultaterne, at biobaseret byggeri kan lagre 56 513 ton CO2-ækvivalenter fra det årlige byggeri. Konklusionen er, at biobaserede materialer er et lovende middel til at sænke miljøpåvirkningen og binde kulstof, men at en omlægning kræver mere bæredygtige metoder til indkøb og forsyning af materialer.
This report examines the environmental impacts of three construction approaches—mineral-based, timber-based, and bio-based—across four case buildings: a single-family house, a terraced house, a multi-story building, and an office building. To produce the results, the study combined interviews, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using the LCAbyg tool, and calculations of carbon stored in building materials. Global Warming Potential (GWP)—a measure of how much a choice contributes to climate change—was used to compare options. The findings show that mineral-based construction has the highest GWP, while bio-based construction, consisting of a timber structure with meadow grass insulation, has the lowest impact. The analysis indicates that, if Aalborg were to build only with bio-based construction, it would require 85 411 m³ of timber per year, equivalent to a sustainable harvest from 3.95 km² of forest annually, or 197.5 km² over 50 years. In addition, building with bio-based materials could store 56 513 tonnes of CO2 equivalents from yearly construction. The study concludes that bio-based materials are a promising way to lower environmental impacts and sequester carbon, but scaling up will require more sustainable sourcing practices.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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