Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a quantitative means for assessing the environmental impact of an object. In structural engineering, the object of interest may be a building, bridge, or other structure. In order to provide a complete picture, the environmental impacts from the entire life-cycle of the object is considered: from the acquisition of the raw materials needed to form the members, through the energy and ancillary materials involved in the processing and transportation of these materials and members, excavation required during construction, future maintenance such as redecking or painting, up to the end use or disposal of the members. …
Author Archives : Jennifer McConnell
Jennifer McConnell is an Associate Professor at the University of Delaware in Newark. Jennifer can be reached at righman@udel.edu.
The built infrastructure is one of the largest contributors to various measures of environmental impacts, e.g., energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. There is sustained momentum towards decreasing this impact. This momentum is consistent with the ASCE Code of Ethics which states, in part, that engineers “shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties.” …