Dealing with sensitivity and uncertainty analysis in integrated building LCA model

Building design, realization, operation and refurbishment have to take into account the environmental impacts as well as the resulting costs over a long period of time. LCA methods had to be developed for buildings because of their complexity, their long life duration and through a large number of actors who are involved. This was realized by integrating life cycle analysis, life cycle costing and building product models in integrated LCA models. However the use of such models leads to difficulties. The principal ones are the uncertainty treatment in LCA models and the lack of experience of practitioners who are not LCA specialists. Answers to these problems are the management of uncertainty and the development of simplified models for building design, construction and operation. This can be achieved with the mean of experimental plans or Monte Carlo simulation. The paper will focus on how these techniques can be used, what are their possibilities and disadvantages, particularly concerning the development of simplified models