Tarja Häkkinen

The role of design management in the sustainable building process

Sustainable building (SB) aims at the required building performance with minimum adverse environmental impact, while encouraging improvements in economic, social and cultural circumstances. The role of design is essential in interpreting and solving these complicated multilevel requirements. This article analyses current design management practices in Finnish construction projects. The aim was to define the challenges that SB brings to the role of the chief designer (stated in the Finnish building code) and to understand how a chief designer contributes towards SB. Study found that the role is defined and practiced mostly as a technical supervisor. The general shared definition of a more fundamental meaning of the role is shallow. The means and mechanisms of performing the task, however, rely on social interaction, influencing and leadership. A lot more power and effect could be got out of design management if these would be consciously involved. SB does not necessarily create more tasks but it affects several existing tasks by bringing new substance to be considered in the design decisions. The key impact that the chief designer can make is created through successful leadership of human creative competence.

The significance of various factors for GHG emissions of buildings

The objective of the research was to create improved understanding of the significance of diverse factors for the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of buildings. The specific focus of the study was on the assessment of the significance of building materials and embodied carbon. The scope of the study covers multi-storey residential buildings in Finland. This research was based on a literature survey and supported by a parametric case study. The parametric study assessed the building-material-related GHG emissions relative to total GHG emissions and the possible range of variation. The research assesses the minimum and maximum GHG emissions for production of buildings with similar spaces, to reveal the likely range of variation for the emissions. The calculations for the ‘minimum’ and ‘maximum’ scenarios assume a similar purpose of use, occupancy and spaces in the building, while the production methods, materials, site conditions and location are varied. The research also assesses the relative importance of various building components and other calculation parameters in terms of GHGs. Total material-related GHG emissions were compared with the GHG emissions caused by the operation of the building, at three distinct levels of energy performance. In addition, the material- and operation-related GHG emissions were compared with the location-related GHG emissions arising from peoples mobility.

New trends in sustainability assessment systems – based on top-down approach and stakeholders needs

Worldwide interest in future-proof buildings is growing, leading to increased demand for suitable methods and systems for assessing and communicating the sustainability of buildings. The number of stakeholders interested in sustainability assessment results as a basis for decision-making is growing. Ultimately, in order to bring about greater sustainability, stakeholders need to understand their potential impacts, but can only do so if this potential is clearly communicated to them through the system structure and through a language and in a format that suits their needs. Numerous systems exist, though these do not always meet the above requirements, do not always address all aspects of sustainability, may have certain methodological issues and may cause confusion through their sheer number. Therefore, there is a clear need for assessment systems to be developed further. This paper proposes that the issues raised can be tackled by a two-pronged approach: Firstly, by adhering to a top-down approach the str...

Environmental data for production of reinforcement bars from scrap iron and for production of steel products from iron ore in the Nordic countries

Abstract The aim of this project is to collect and compare environmental data for steel products in order to generate data of good quality for each of the Nordic countries. This study gives the environmental data for the production of reinforcement bars and steel products in the Nordic countries together with a short description of the processes. The data are compared and variations are discussed. It has not been possible to allocate the collected data to a single raw material or a single process that would have made the discussion easier. To facilitate the comparison, environmental data for the production of electricity have been excluded, because the production methods differ in the Nordic countries. To show the importance of different factors to the energy consumption, the Danish results have been recalculated and include data for the production of electricity.

Life-cycle and information management of products – a case study of concrete element industry

Life-cycle management is a necessary approach in the development of sustainable product concepts. However, it is a big challenge for product manufacturers. Manufacturers need new information and tools which aid in the consideration of client requirements and user needs, in interaction between design and manufacture, and in understanding the effects of production and the effects of different use and end-of-life scenarios. The manufacturer needs information about those stages of life cycle that are out of his direct influence and means of influence; the latter may include procurement criteria, instructions for sustainable use and disposal and the development of maintenance and other services for the use phase. This paper discusses the role of life-cycle management in sustainable production concepts and the role of information management in life-cycle management. The research includes a review of literature, a case study carried out for concrete elements manufacture, and discussion on the basis of the result...

The use of LCA studies and LCA outcomes in the decision-making processes of enterprises – discussion and conclusions on the basis of case studies

The paper assesses different ways of utilising life-cycle assessment (LCA) for life-cycle management (LCM) of products. Enterprises face different kinds of barriers for the use of LCA. These are related to communication, the lack of methods and information, or access to tools and information. There are different ways available for LCA data acquisition and the use of LCA results in decision-making. These include comprehensive research projects as well as much easier processes where LCA information is collected in accordance with existing product category rules and with the help of tailored tools. The paper studies, discusses and draws conclusions about the effective use of LCA for LCM in different kinds of enterprises and in different phases of supply chains with the help of case study results and literature. The position and the role in the supply chain and the size of the enterprise significantly affect the type of LCA approach needed.

Principles of GHG emissions assessment of wooden building products

The paper discusses and draws conclusions about the assessment principles of the global warming potential (GWP) of wooden building products. The discussion is based on the results of literature studies on life cycle assessments (LCAs) of wooden building products and research results on the effects of forestry on the carbon balance.Important issues that affect the assessment results of wooden building products include the consideration of carbon uptake during growth, the effect of harvesting on the carbon balance of forests and the consideration of the so-called substitution effect. The paper discusses the significance of these issues and draws conclusions about the justified consideration of these in product or economy level assessments and when seeking information on long-term or short-term impacts.The paper addresses the fact that average, regional and country-specific information should be developed for the land use impacts of wooden products. This would make it possible to consider reference land use ...