Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Subject: LCSH

Product life cycle--Environmental aspects

Disciplines

Civil Engineering | Environmental Engineering

Abstract

Service life of building products has an important influence on life cycle assessment (LCA) results of buildings. The goal of this study was to propose a systematic approach to estimate service life of building products by including both technical and social factors. A hybrid service life prediction method, combining the statistical approach described in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard G166, with the Factor Method adopted by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 15686 was proposed. In their current forms, the two methods are not suitable to provide accurate lifetime estimates for the wide variety of products that are used in buildings. Statistical analysis was preferred over a deterministic approach. Regression analysis was used to define Weibull distribution parameters for each product. These distributions were then used to calculate the mean estimated service life of products with an 80% confidence interval. Using actual lifetime observed from practice instead of design lifetime for reference service life was preferred. This enables the use of a smaller range of coefficients for each factor affecting service life, which decreases subjectivity and increases reliability of results. Example service life estimates were demonstrated for common residential interior finishes that are replaced more frequently, and therefore require more maintenance planning and potentially have significant environmental impacts. Unless additional data points were gathered for investigated products, the presented lifetime distribution results can be directly applied to LCA studies.

Comments

This is the peer reviewed version of the article, “Service Life Prediction of Residential Interior Finishes for Life Cycle Assessment.” The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007.

DOI

10.1007

Publisher Citation

Aktas, C.B., Bilec, M.M. (2012). Service life prediction of residential interior finishes for life cycle assessment. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 17(3): 362-371. doi: 10.1007/s11367-011-0367-6.

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