PSI - Issue 55

Giovanna Bartels et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 55 (2024) 88–95 Bartels et al. / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2023) 000 – 000

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2.1. Environmental Dimension The environmental dimension was developed by conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), considering global and local environmental impact categories. The LCA stands as a pivotal tool for evaluating the environmental impact of this product. Its significance lies in understanding the embodied impact, providing insights toward achieving a more sustainable solution. One of its fundamental roles is to support decision-makers through the comparative analysis of alternatives. In accordance with EN 14040 (2006), a four-step methodology must be completed when conducting LCA. These steps follow a sequential order, beginning with goal and scope definition, going to life cycle inventory, continue with the evaluation of environmental impacts, and concluding with the interpretation of the results. The scope of the LCA was defined during collaborative sessions with the product development team. It was determined that the primary focus of this LCA would be to understand the embodied impact in the product stage, falling under the cradle-to-gate approach. Therefore, in this environmental analysis, the focus is to comprehend the product stage by the evaluation of phases A1 to A3 (CEN. 2019.). In phase A1, the supply chain of raw materials is studied. Phase A2 is centred on the transportation-related impacts. Lastly, in phase A3, the manufacturing processes involved are investigated, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Product Stage from A1 to A3 in LCA

The inventory step was initiated by collecting data related to the raw materials, production, recycling and waste generation processes, as well as other inputs and outputs associated with the final product. For the materials used in each layer of the roof, a bibliographic study was conducted to identify the ones for which an LCA had already been completed. These materials included MW (Pedroso. 2019. and Volcalis. 2016.), ICB (Amorim. 2016.), XPS (Silvestre. 2012.), bonding material and basecoat (Pedroso. 2019.), and Polyurethane Membranes (Gomes. 2019., Maris Saint Gobain. 2023., Tecnopol. 2023., and Weber Saint-Gobain. 2023.). Continuing with this process, the software SimaPro 9.4.0.2 was utilized to model the remaining inputs of the product. The software's database was sourced from Ecoinvent 3, and the calculation method employed was based on EN 15804 + A2, CML-IA baseline V3.08 and CED – Cumulative Energy Demand for PE-NRe. For a more comprehensive understanding of the product's sustainable behaviour, and in alignment with the iterative process of LCA, at the evaluation of environmental impacts step it was determined that five categories of environmental impacts would be thoroughly studied. Among these, two are of global significance: Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Primary Energy - Non-Renewable Energy (PE-NRe). The remaining three impact categories exert a local influence, namely Acidification Potential (AP), Eutrophication Potential (EP), and Potential Photochemical Oxidation (POCP). 2.2. Economical Aspect The costs calculation of the roof’s solution stands as an important factor in ensuring the project's economic feasibility. Apart from securing affordability for the client, achieving a balance between costs and the integration of robust and sustainable materials hold paramount importance. This equilibrium not only guarantees accessibility but