Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Traditional and Modern Materials in Heritage Building Restoration: A Case Study from Ushaiger Village

Silvia Mazzetto ()
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Silvia Mazzetto: SALab Sustainable Architecture Lab, Architecture Department of Architecture, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh 12435, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-25

Abstract: This paper presents a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of the traditional and modern materials used in heritage building restoration, focusing on mud, limestone, decorative plaster, blended hydraulic cement, and ready-mix concrete. The analysis examines key environmental impact categories, including global warming potential (GWP), ozone depletion potential (ODP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), and water use across multiple life cycle stages. The results reveal that mud and limestone, while having lower initial environmental impacts in production, contribute significantly to ODP and GWP during transportation due to their heavy weight. Modern materials like blended hydraulic cement and ready-mix concrete exhibit the highest overall environmental impacts, particularly in GWP, AP, and water use, due to their energy-intensive production processes. Decorative plaster, while lower in initial impacts, gains higher environmental burdens over time due to its frequent replacement. This study highlights the need to optimize transportation and improve recycling practices for traditional materials, while also encouraging the exploration of alternative materials for reducing the environmental footprint of heritage restoration.

Keywords: life cycle assessment (LCA); heritage conservation; traditional materials; modern materials; global warming potential (GWP); acidification; eutrophication; water use (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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