Case studies on the life cycle assessment of lumber production and of tall wood buildings
| dc.contributor.advisor | Gong, Meng | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Gu, Hongmei | |
| dc.contributor.author | Zahabi, Nadia | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-03-18T17:39:29Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-03-18T17:39:29Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-01 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Mass timber provides a low-carbon alternative to steel and concrete, reducing global warming potential (GWP) and non-renewable energy use while acting as a carbon sink. Life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates environmental impacts, supporting sustainable construction practices. This research includes three LCA case studies. The first examined softwood lumber production in New Brunswick, Canada, with emissions of 43 kg CO₂ eq/m³, relying on 58% renewable energy from woody biomass during kiln drying. The second analyzed hardwood lumber, emitting 41 kg CO₂ eq/m³ up to sawing, using 98% non-renewable grid energy. Both softwood and hardwood offset their emissions with stored carbon, achieving negative GWP. The third study compared cradle-to-grave impacts of hybrid mass timber-steel, full mass timber, steel, and concrete designs in the Bakers Place project, USA. Mass timber significantly reduced GWP and non-renewable energy but showed higher acidification and eutrophication impacts due to transportation and landfill decomposition. | |
| dc.description.copyright | © Nadia Zahabi, 2025 | |
| dc.format.extent | xiv, 229 | |
| dc.format.medium | electronic | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://unbscholar.lib.unb.ca/handle/1882/38267 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of New Brunswick | |
| dc.relation | Government of New Brunswick’s Environmental Trust Fund | |
| dc.relation | New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) Research Chair Initiative | |
| dc.relation | New Brunswick Innovation Foundation - Research Assistantship Initiative (NBIF-RAI) | |
| dc.relation | University of New Brunswick, School of Graduate Studies - Board of Governors Merit Awards for Graduate Studies | |
| dc.relation | University of New Brunswick, School of Graduate Studies - Forestry Futures Graduate Scholarship | |
| dc.relation | University of New Brunswick, School of Graduate Studies - School of Graduate Studies Travel Award | |
| dc.rights | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 | |
| dc.subject.discipline | Forestry and Environmental Management | |
| dc.title | Case studies on the life cycle assessment of lumber production and of tall wood buildings | |
| dc.type | master thesis | |
| oaire.license.condition | other | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Forestry and Environmental Management | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of New Brunswick | |
| thesis.degree.level | masters | |
| thesis.degree.name | M.Sc.F.E. |