Life Cycle Assessment of Wooden Civil Engineering Structures

Abstract

As wood can be a renewable resource under sustainable forest management, its effective use has been attracting attention as a pathway toward a sustainable society. Although wood was once used almost universally in civil engineering structures, following economic growth, the primary construction materials in Japan transitioned to concrete and steel. However, in recent years, wood has again begun to attract attention as a civil engineering material within the contexts of addressing the issue of climate change, making effective use of planted trees that are now at an appropriate age for harvesting, and promoting domestic forestry and a sustainable construction industry. To examine the environmental impacts and benefits of wood, it is necessary to apply a life cycle assessment （LCA）. However, few prior LCA studies have targeted wood use in civil engineering structures. This article overviews case studies using the LCA method to quantify the greenhouse gas （GHG） emission reductions of representative wooden civil engineering structures and discusses the life cycle GHG emission reduction potential of increasing the use of wood in such civil engineering applications in Japan in the future. In addition, perspectives for future research are discussed.