Life cycle assessment analysis of a representative residential building in Türki̇ye

As one of most carbon-intensive sectors, construction sector is responsible for significant portion of the global greenhouse gas emissions. To understand and further reduce the carbon emissions of the sector, it is necessary to first identify the emission sources for building construction from a view that covers the impacts of production of construction materials to the end-of-life of the building. This study undertakes a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a representative residential building in Türkiye, covering the building's lifecycle from production of construction materials through to end-of-life. The study begins by emphasizing the construction sector's significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and identifies the research gaps in similar LCA studies both from the global and local (Türkiye) contexts. The methodology section includes the comprehensive approach taken, including data collection from official sources, and relevant publications. The analysis undertakes detailed LCA modelling to assess the environmental impacts associated with the investigated building's materials and their transportation, operational phase, and end-of-life. Findings of the study indicate that operational phase followed by the production of construction materials are the most significant contributors to the building's overall environmental impact. The findings also reveals each emission sources and determine the hot spots of the building in terms of carbon impact. In addition, the study suggest different reduction scenarios towards decarbonization of the construction industry in Türkiye, such as switching from the use of CEM I to CEM II cement and making buildings more energy efficient. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the environmental impacts of a representative residential building in Türkiye along with providing approaches on how to reduce the carbon impact of the sector. The findings of this thesis might benefit city planners, architects, and constructors about their material and design choses for the construction of new residential buildings.