https://doi.org/10.24928/2024/0228

Carbon Emissions of Construction Operations in a Cold Climate

Ergo Pikas¹, Rauno Lõhmus², Lauri Koskela³, Müge Tetik⁴ & Kädi-Riin Vendel⁵

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0001-5691-685X.
²Project Manager, Maru Ehitus AS, Tallinn, Estonia.
³Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-4449-2281.
⁴Post-Doctoral Researcher, LUT School of Engineering Sciences, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-4013-0577.
⁵Project Expert, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0004-1702-1817.

Abstract

This study focuses on the energy use of construction operations and explores the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The case study methodology is used in this exploratory investigation to assess the energy consumption and GHG of eight construction projects in Estonia. The findings highlight the need to account for heating and illumination emissions, underlining the importance of including construction phase emissions in building lifecycle carbon assessments. No strong correlation between building size and energy consumption is found, but there seems to be a connection between project duration, use function, and emissions. It suggests that addressing the embodied carbon of construction operations, particularly when heating is required, is crucial for reducing the overall carbon footprint. This study develops and invites the lean community to establish a baseline for construction operations' energy use and related GHG emissions. A baseline is needed to facilitate the continuous improvement of construction processes from the sustainability viewpoint.

Keywords

Sustainable construction, energy consumption of construction operations, greenhouse gas emissions, winter heating and illumination.

Files

Reference

Pikas, E. , Lõhmus, R. , Koskela, L. , Tetik, M. & Vendel, K. 2024. Carbon Emissions of Construction Operations in a Cold Climate, Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 32) , 1063-1073. doi.org/10.24928/2024/0228

Download: BibTeX | RIS Format