Abstract:
The built environment consumes space and natural resources. Natural resources such as s and aggregate are extracted from quarries.These materials are then hauled long distances exerting pressure on transportation systems not to mention harmful missions from transport equipment. The goal of this study is to determine environmental impacts due to raw materials procurement, fabrication, and installation processes associated with the construction of different floor types. The larger scope of the original study covers comparison of environmental effects due to construction of hypothetical Hollow-Core and Composite Stee Deck floor Systems by conducting a"cradletogate"Life Cycle Assessment. A hybrid approach, as presented in the methodology, isused to perform the LCA in which Economic Input/Output(EIO) and Process-based LCA models are applied to identify impacts of the process. Thegoal of this paper however, is to demonstratethe process of our methodology associatedwith extraction and production ofthetwofloorsystems.
Keywords: Hollow Core, Steel Deck, LCA, EIO, Environmental Impact, Floor Systems