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1. LVL AS A CONSTRUCTIONMATERIAL
Figure 1.17
Life cycle approach of building product assessment.
calculation rules are provided in the EN 16485 standard.
The most used environmental indicator of EPDs is global
warming potential (GWP), also known as carbon footprint.
The GWP reflects the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in
each stage of a product’s life cycle and is mainly the outcome of
fossil fuel use in the raw material supply stage and energy use
in the production stage (A1–3).
At the building level, the EN 15978 standard provides sys-
tematic calculation rules for the assessment of the environmen-
tal performance of new and existing buildings. The environ-
mental performance of wooden buildings derives from their
light weight (compared to other building materials), energy
efficiency of materials and buildings, life-time carbon storage
in wood, and their renewable and sustainable origin. Wood-
en buildings typically achieve the same service time as other
buildings, typically 50–100 years. Up to 100 years or longer
service time is achievable with proper design and optimized
maintenance.
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