122
required for a study on a building assembly, or whole building, which combines a
vast array of materials over their life spans, from raw material extraction to end of
life, is a prohibitive task (Van Ooteghem and Xu 2012).
Formal LCA phase 2 life cycle inventory activities include three main procedures. The first is data collection, the second is data calculation, and the third is the
determination of how the various system inputs and outputs are to be allocated, if
necessary, between different products and functions. The LCA operator will validate that all unit processes obey fundamental laws of mass and energy conservation
throughout the process. Detailed graphic flow charts show how each unit process
relates to the functional unit established in phase 1. (See Chap. 5 for function unit
description.) Physical input and output data must be appropriately aggregated based
on relationships to the study goal, equivalent individual substances, and equivalent
environmental impacts.
The first (data collection) and second (data calculation) procedures produce a
clearer, second iteration, data picture that is used to refine the original product system boundary in phase 1. Sensitivity analyses performed on the calculated data are
used to exclude insignificant life cycle stages or unit processes or to include new
ones shown to be significant. The third procedure provides either the basis to avoid
or the justification for allocating physical inputs and outputs within a bounded product system (ISO 14044 2006b).
Prior to carrying out LCI data collection, calculation, and allocation activities,
the LCA expert must identify all primary physical material extractions required for
and emissions released in every product life cycle stage and decide if they will use
an economic input/output or detailed process-based inventory analysis to calculate
(Jolliet et al. 2015).
Fortunately for the non-specialist, there exist a number of different certified LCI
databases that have their own processes and standards to verify data quality. These
databases allow the designers to avoid much of the unfamiliar and time-consuming
process of validating every data source while still seeing the overall criteria that
support the LCI data. These databases feed into impact assessment (LCIA) tools
design workflows to improve decision-making. Several programs designed to bring
LCA into the hands of designers match existing LCI data values to material takeoffs
drawn from a digital geometric design model. This allows designers to relatively
quickly assess the environmental profile of their design without needing the knowledge and time to carry out a full LCA study. This removes the designer from the
details concerning LCI data collection, calculation, and allocation processes.
Instead, these programs draw data from existing open public or proprietary datasets.
7.2 Use of LCI Databases in LCIA Tools
One way that designers engage with LCI data, without even realizing it, is through
the use of LCIA tools. Several LCI databases directly fuel the various LCIA tools
available to designers, explored in depth in Chap. 8. However, this all happens as
7 LCI Data and Design
required for a study on a building assembly, or whole building, which combines a
vast array of materials over their life spans, from raw material extraction to end of
life, is a prohibitive task (Van Ooteghem and Xu 2012).
Formal LCA phase 2 life cycle inventory activities include three main procedures. The first is data collection, the second is data calculation, and the third is the
determination of how the various system inputs and outputs are to be allocated, if
necessary, between different products and functions. The LCA operator will validate that all unit processes obey fundamental laws of mass and energy conservation
throughout the process. Detailed graphic flow charts show how each unit process
relates to the functional unit established in phase 1. (See Chap. 5 for function unit
description.) Physical input and output data must be appropriately aggregated based
on relationships to the study goal, equivalent individual substances, and equivalent
environmental impacts.
The first (data collection) and second (data calculation) procedures produce a
clearer, second iteration, data picture that is used to refine the original product system boundary in phase 1. Sensitivity analyses performed on the calculated data are
used to exclude insignificant life cycle stages or unit processes or to include new
ones shown to be significant. The third procedure provides either the basis to avoid
or the justification for allocating physical inputs and outputs within a bounded product system (ISO 14044 2006b).
Prior to carrying out LCI data collection, calculation, and allocation activities,
the LCA expert must identify all primary physical material extractions required for
and emissions released in every product life cycle stage and decide if they will use
an economic input/output or detailed process-based inventory analysis to calculate
(Jolliet et al. 2015).
Fortunately for the non-specialist, there exist a number of different certified LCI
databases that have their own processes and standards to verify data quality. These
databases allow the designers to avoid much of the unfamiliar and time-consuming
process of validating every data source while still seeing the overall criteria that
support the LCI data. These databases feed into impact assessment (LCIA) tools
design workflows to improve decision-making. Several programs designed to bring
LCA into the hands of designers match existing LCI data values to material takeoffs
drawn from a digital geometric design model. This allows designers to relatively
quickly assess the environmental profile of their design without needing the knowledge and time to carry out a full LCA study. This removes the designer from the
details concerning LCI data collection, calculation, and allocation processes.
Instead, these programs draw data from existing open public or proprietary datasets.
7.2 Use of LCI Databases in LCIA Tools
One way that designers engage with LCI data, without even realizing it, is through
the use of LCIA tools. Several LCI databases directly fuel the various LCIA tools
available to designers, explored in depth in Chap. 8. However, this all happens as
7 LCI Data and Design