Life cycle assessment methodology as a tool to achieve sustainable building practices in the South African building construction industry

M.Tech. (Construction Management)Abstract: The purpose of this research work was to investigate the role of life cycle assessment (LCA) in achieving sustainability in the South African construction industry. The study had the following objectives: to investigate the awareness of LCA in the South African construction industry; to investigate the environmental impacts of South African building construction activities across their entire life cycle; to investigate the role of LCA in achieving sustainable building practices in South Africa; to identify the limitations to the adoption of LCA methodology in the South African construction industry; and lastly, to identify measures that can be undertaken in order to encourage the use of LCA for buildings in South African construction industry. The data used in this study were derived from both primary and secondary sources. The secondary data were derived from the review of literature and the primary data were obtained through the use of a structured questionnaires. Questionnaires were delivered to the identified target respondents electronically and others personally. The questionnaire was distributed to a set of construction- related professionals, namely architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and construction managers. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. Findings emanating from the study revealed that lack of awareness of LCA in the South African construction industry is the major barrier towards its adoption for buildings. Years of experience was found to have an effect on the number of projects where LCA was used by the participants in the study: participants with fewer years of experience have used LCA more than participants with more years of experience. It was also found that buildings contribute significantly to environmental impacts during the final disposal of the demolished building materials and it was found that building construction activities mostly contribute to air pollution. It was further found that the use of LCA for buildings can help achieve sustainable building practices in South Africa. All the identified measures in this study were found to be relevant towards encouraging the use of LCA in the South African construction industry, with government support being ranked the highest