Ecological and Economic Assessment of the Reuse of Steel Halls in Terms of LCA

Abstract

In engineering practice, investment activities related to the construction of a building are still limited to the idea of a linear cradle to grave (C2G) economy. The aim of the study is to determine the ecological and economic benefits inherent in the reuse of structural elements of a hall building using the idea of a Cradle to Cradle (C2C) looped circular economy and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). As a rule, a multiple circulation of materials from which model buildings are made was assumed through successive life cycles: creation, use, demolition and then further use of the elements. This approach is distinguished by minimizing negative impacts as a result of optimizing the mass of the structure—striving to relieve the environment, thus improving economic efficiency and leaving a positive ecological footprint. The assessment of cumulative ecological, economic and technical parameters (EET) methodology of generalized ecological indicator (WE) for quick and practical assessment of the ecological effect of multi-use steel halls, based on LCA, was proposed. The authors of the work attempted to assess the usefulness of such a structure with the example of four types of halls commonly used in the construction industry. The linear stream of C2G (cradle to grave) and then C2C (cradle to cradle) flows was calculated by introducing ecological parameters for comparative assessment. Finally, a methodology for calculating the ecological amortization of buildings (EAB) was proposed. The authors hope that the proposed integrated assessment of technical, economic and ecological parameters, which are components of the design process, will contribute to a new approach, the so-called fast-track pro-environmental project.