LCA of UCP with various Retaining Wall Solutions

José Humberto M. de PAULA FILHO, João MARTINS, Marcos O. C. MAGRI, and Mariana R.G. GUERRERO

 

Keywords: Life-Cycle Assessment, Steel Sheet Piles, Underground Car Park, Global Warming Potential, Sustainability.

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Abstract

 

In 2020, buildings and the construction sector accounted for 37% of global energy-related CO2e emissions, surpassing other sectors. A life-cycle assessment is a science-based and standardized, methodology for quantifying and reporting on environmental impacts. Amongst several other purposes, it is used to measure and provide insights to reduce the CO2e emissions of constructions over their life. This research involves a life cycle assessment of an underground car park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

It compares a steel sheet pile and a reinforced concrete diaphragm retaining walls. The life cycle assessment examines stages from product to end-of-life, along with loads and benefits beyond the system boundary. Environmental product declarations compose the environmental database, and calculations are performed using One Click LCA software. The objective is to provide an understanding of the Global Warming Potential associated with the underground car park and compare the different structural configurations and materials considered. 

The results indicate that the steel sheet pile wall reduced the global warming potential by 48% compared to the reinforced concrete diaphragm wall solution.