Peikko has been a forerunner with many innovations over the years, but today the company is proud to be among the first to have investigated the carbon footprint of building construction. An independent study carried out by experts in carbon assessment showed that by using Deltabeam, a five percent reduction in lifecycle carbon impact can be achieved.

Peikko commissioned a British expert company in carbon assessment and building construction, dCarbon8, to carry out an independent study on its Deltabeam product. The goal of the study was to assess the lifecycle carbon impact of using Deltabeam versus using the widely used steel I beam in a school building design. The study was carried out in compliance with recognized international standard (ISO 14040) for carbon assessment, so as to enable the results to be considered throughout Peikko’s operating countries.

The results of the study were that compared to a business-as-usual-approach using a steel i beam, the Deltabeam option offered a 5 percent saving in total carbon impacts over the lifetime of the building. These savings came from the raw material savings on beams, saving on other building materials. Due to Deltabeam, the reduction in the carbon impact of onsite activities and savings due to a more efficient structure during the life-time of the building with regards to e.g. heating or cooling of the building.

“American studies show that CO2 from buildings accounts for over 50% of total annual CO2 emissions in developed countries. Irrespective of an individuals’ position on climate change, construction of more sustainable buildings, the more efficient use of raw materials, and a reduction in future heating and cooling requirements must be an advantage to building owners and operators. Peikko Group wants to be in the forefront to develop and promote smart products that enable CO2 savings”, states Topi Paananen, CEO of the Peikko Group.

---

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN SOLUTIONS VIDEO

 

---

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment for a school building

The aim of this project is to assess the life cycle carbon impacts associated with the use of Peikko’s Deltabeam compared to the use of a steel I beams in a school building design.

The objectives of this study are as follows:

• To calculate the lifecycle carbon impacts of a school building using Deltabeams, from cradle to grave over 60 years, in close consistency with the most recent international LCA standards (ISO 14040)

• To calculate the lifecycle carbon impacts of the same school building using steel i beams, from cradle to grave over 60 years, in close consistency with the most recent international LCA standards (ISO 14040)

• To compare the lifecycle carbon impacts, and highlight and quantify the major environmental differences between the two scenarios.

The functional unit used throughout this study is the construction, use and disposal of one square metre of Gross Internal Area (GIA) of the school building over 60 years. As shown in Figure 1, this study assessed lifecycle stages for the building based on the ‘total carbon’ footprint from cradle to grave, divided into two components:

• Embodied carbon, which corresponds to the impacts occurring during the production of raw materials, the delivery of these materials to the construction site, onsite construction activities, maintenance of the building over its lifetime, and its end-of-life.

• Operational carbon, the carbon emitted during the building lifetime through energy consumption.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This section describes the system to be studied, its functional units, the boundary, and the main data requirements and collection processes for this study. It also addresses the impact category used and gives an overview of the interpretation and requirements for a third party review.

Product System

Specification

To ensure a like-for-like comparison, the same school development was used as the basis of the comparison in both scenarios, i.e. with conventional steel I beams and Deltabeams. Where possible the structural designs of a leading contractor and civil engineering company were used and where data was not available, a cost model for a block of a school building (GIA 1,450, steel framed, 3-storey) was referred to (Davis Langdon 2007). The school building’s main features are:

• pad foundations;

• 3-stories;

• steel frame;

• 7.2m×8m spans

• walls are comprised of brickwork, cavity, concrete block, plasterboard;

• Gross Internal Area (GIA) of 2202 m2;

• no external areas.

Physical inclusions and exclusions

This section defines the parts of the building included and excluded within the system considered. The development is broken down into four main zones (Figure 7):

• foundations, i.e. piling and pile caps or pads;

• substructure, i.e. the ground bearing slab;

• superstructure, i.e. the frames (beams and columns), floor slabs, external walls, cladding and roofing, etc.;

• basic fit-out, i.e. lightning protection & earth bonding, electricity, gas and water supply, sprinklers, partition walls, finishes, etc.

 

---

Deltabeam vs Steel I Beam Sustainability Results

EMBODIED CARBON RESULTS The embodied carbon impact for the school is 10% lower for the Deltabeam solution, principally due to a reduction in raw materials required. Less steel is required for Deltabeam solutions, and a reduction in ceiling height saves other materials. The greatest impact for embodied carbon is found in raw materials due to the large quantities of energy required for their production.

TOTAL CARBON IMPACT RESULTS Overall, the Deltabeam option has a lower carbon impact than the conventional steel I beam (U-beam) design in both embodied and operational, with a 5% total reduction in carbon impact. This represents a total carbon saving of 267 t CO2e from cradle to grave over a 60 years life cycle.

READ MORE ON DELTABEAM'S 
SUSTAINABILITY FOR SCHOOLS

dcarbon8 Comparative Life Cycle Assessment for School Buildings PDF

Deltabeams work to save the planet by reducing cabon footprint in construction PDF

 

---

 ATTAIN LEED CERTIFICATION WITH DELTABEAMS

 

---

MORE DELTABEAM INFORMATION :