Environmental impact assessment of conventional construction methods in low-rise residential buildings in northern Iran
Subject Areas :Kiana Rasekh 1 , seyedeh mamak salavatian 2 * , Marzieh Kazemzadeh 3
1 - Department of architecture, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
2 - Department of architecture, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
3 - Department of architecture, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
Keywords: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Low-Rise Residential Buildings, Sustainable Construction, Conventional Construction Methods, Energy,
Abstract :
The construction sector is among the largest contributors to global environmental degradation due to intensive energy consumption and the depletion of natural resources. In Guilan Province, northern Iran, rapid growth in residential construction has raised concerns about long-term ecological impacts, yet systematic evaluations remain limited. This study addresses this gap by investigating the environmental consequences of residential buildings through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. A total of 384 residential building blueprints were manually examined to extract detailed information on material types and quantities. These data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software to identify dominant structural systems and material consumption patterns. Subsequently, the environmental impacts of concrete and steel frame systems were compared with the aid of the OpenLCA software package, considering multiple indicators including greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion, and air and water pollution. The assessment covered the entire life cycle of building materials, from production to transportation and on-site construction. Results revealed that concrete frames significantly increase CO₂ emissions, contributing to global warming and depletion of non-renewable resources, mainly due to the high environmental cost of cement production. In contrast, steel frame systems were linked to elevated radioactive emissions, such as radon and tritium. Furthermore, transportation—particularly long-distance hauling of construction materials—emerged as a key factor in environmental degradation. These findings highlight the urgent need for integrating sustainability principles into residential construction practices in Guilan Province. Recommendations include promoting the use of local materials, optimizing logistics to reduce transportation distances, and adopting low-energy building technologies.
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