Investigating the Embodied Energy of Wall Assembly with Various Material Service Life Scenarios

Abdul Rauf, Daniel Efurosibina Attoye, Robert Crawford

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Studies have advocated that there is much less research on the impact of embodied energy. Researchers have asserted that a building’s embodied energy can be as high as 60% of the life cycle energy. However, there is insufficient research and understanding of embodied energy impacts and its relationship with material specification and service life. This research aims to fill this gap by investigating the life cycle embodied energy of a villa in the United Arab Emirates with particular emphasis on the wall assembly. The findings show that the embodied energy impact of the wall structure and wall finishes was found to be 19.7% and 11.7% of the villa’s life cycle embodied energy (LCEE), respectively. Alternative material service life (MSL) scenarios for the wall assembly shows that using minimum material service life (MSL) values results in a 54% increase in LCEE of the wall, and 74% increase in the LCEE of the villa. For maximum MSL, the findings show a 27% and 31% decrease in LCEE of walls and villa, respectively. Alternative wall finishes show that wallpaper as a replacement of water-based paint will increase the LCEE of the villa by 28%.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research - Greening Energy to Shape a Sustainable Future
EditorsNídia S. Caetano, Manuel Carlos Felgueiras
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages173-184
Number of pages12
ISBN (Print)9783031435584
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Event9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research, ICEER 2022 - Virtual, Online
Duration: Sept 12 2022Sept 16 2022

Publication series

NameEnvironmental Science and Engineering
ISSN (Print)1863-5520
ISSN (Electronic)1863-5539

Conference

Conference9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research, ICEER 2022
CityVirtual, Online
Period9/12/229/16/22

Keywords

  • Building materials
  • Initial embodied energy (IEE)
  • Input output based hybrid analysis (IOBHA)
  • Life cycle embodied energy (LCEE)
  • Recurrent embodied energy (REE)
  • Wall assembly

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Information Systems

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