HÅLLBARA MATERIALVAL I BYGGNADSINDUSTRIN : Egenskaper, fördelar och nackdelar hos olika byggmaterial med fokus på miljöperspektiv och hållbarhet

Sammanfattning

Purpose: This study analyses and compares the most common construction materials in the Swedish construction industry (wood, concrete and steel) regarding to their environmental impact and technical properties. Method: The work is based on an extensive literature study, comparative analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) of the materials. As part of the study, a hand calculation was also carried out for a garage made of wood, concrete and steel, in order to quantify and compare their climate impact. In order to be able to compare the environmental impact of the materials of the garage, One Click LCA was used. The study were reinforced by three case studies of real construction projects, each representing one of the materials. The analysis shows that wood generally has the lowest climate impact of the three materials, but requires special protection measures and greater technical understanding to achieve long-term sustainability. Concrete and steel have a higher climate impact but offer robust technical properties, and opportunities for improvement exist primarily through fossilfree production processes and material optimization. Results: The results of the calculations are consistent with literature study, showing that wood has the lowest climate impact, followed by concrete, then steel that have the highest impact. This confirms that Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an effective method for evaluating the environmental impact of construction materials. However, certain challenges remain in selecting materials, particularly due to the limited availability of comparable and reliable climate impact data across different construction materials. Conclusion: The conclusion is that material choice has a significant impact on the environmental footprint of buildings, but through early implementation of life cycle assessments and increased knowledge of material properties, more sustainable construction solutions can be achieved.