Published: 14 September 2010

New toolkit of building material life cycle resources

Wendy Pyper

A toolkit of life cycle assessment resources for Australian building materials, products and buildings is due for release in November. The toolkit will include life cycle information on some 100 building materials, and provide a method to standardise interpretation of the ISO 14040 (life cycle assessment framework) in Australia. It will also contribute to the Australian Life Cycle Inventory Database Initiative (AusLCI) being developed by the Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS).

The toolkit will enable high quality life cycle assessment (LCA) studies to be conducted for buildings, assemblies, products and materials and support LCA-based design tools and the development of life cycle based eco-labels and environmental product declarations. This may provide architects, designers, retailers and consumers with a benchmark for comparing and assessing the sustainability of products. Suppliers may also use it to appropriately promote the environmental attributes of their products and services.

The $1.6 million project is jointly funded by the Building Products Innovation Council (BPIC) and AusIndustry, while partners include ALCAS, CSIRO, BRANZ and state and federal governments.

BPIC CEO, Mr Ian Frame, said that the Green Building Council of Australia has expressed interest in life cycle based credits from the BPIC and AusLCI projects and may incorporate these into future Green Star ratings.

HySSIL is an aerated cement-based product developed by Dr Swee Liang Mak and his team at CSIRO’s Materials Science and Engineering division. HySSIL wall panels are made using an energy-efficient process that does not require expensive and energy-intensive curing equipment. Credit: CSIRO

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