Sustainability Assessment Considering Asset and Building Life Cycles

This paper discusses development of eco-decision support tools and databases designed to facilitate corporate management in sustainable development and construction processes. Such tool developer’s alignment of their products with best practice asset management frameworks is critical if they are to be integrated into corporate management systems. Real world asset management issues include discontinuities in work sequencing, multi-layered communications across stakeholders and between policy, procurement and construction development procedures and timelines. CASE studies are shown from two new Government buildings developed to achieve star ratings for Ecologically Sustainable Fitout of Office Accommodation using asset management decision support tools based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods and databases. Using these two studies a comparative assessment is drawn of the application of Australian ecodesign tools, based on quantitative and qualitative LCA. Such tools and assessments are discussed to facilitate eco-efficient building design as well as fitout and refurbishment. The scope of work of the qualitative tool is based upon an asset management framework covering policy, planning, design and documentation, procurement, demolition, construction and pre occupancy assessments. The quantitative tool exploits more construction detail over a shorter scope of work from acquisition, manufacture and supply of building products and systems through to construction and building operation. Results of a gap analysis are presented to illustrate potential outcomes from each tool and that potential uptake of either tool type can best be appreciated in the wider context of sustainable asset and construction management.