Thermal and structural properties of a hemp–lime biocomposite

Abstract The need to reduce greenhouse gases emission produced by the building sector leads to the research of renewable and less impacting materials that can replace traditional ones. This subject has encouraged new researches on biocomposite concretes with the aim to exploit renewable resources like vegetal fibres intended as materials whose production processes are generally characterized by low costs and energy demand. This biocomposite is obviously much lighter than concrete and, therefore, can be suitably used in such cases where a structure cannot be overloaded, for instance in the realization of a green covering on top of a preexistent building. In this work, a first analysis of the…

Environmental management of granite slab production from an industrial ecology standpoint

The granite production chain is high energy and water intensive with low resource efficiency. This paper focus on characterizing the potential for environmental improvement of the granite production chain by promoting the optimization of sawing technology, the implementation of rainwater harvesting (RWH) and the material recovery of wasted granite (sludge). The environmental performance of multi-blade gangsaw (MBGS) and diamond multi-wire saw (DMWS) technologies is compared by mean of life cycle assessment. Results demonstrate that DMWS technology contribute 30% of water savings, 40% of energy savings and 80% of material savings per square meter of polished granite tiles (60 x 40 x 2 cm) pr…

Energy and environmental analysis of marble productive sites: «by phases» and «by single process» combined approach

Energy Procedia 00 (20 1 8 ) 000 – 000 73rd Conference of the Italian Thermal Machines Engineering Association, ATI 2018, Pisa, Italy, 12 Sep 2018 - 14 Sep 2018; Italy : Elsevier Ltd. (2018).

A simplified method for the indirect evaluation of the “embodied pollution” of natural stones (marble) working chain to be applied for achieving the Ecolabel brand of the product

The constant push toward higher energy and environmental quality buildings makes the acquisition of excellence marks for products and materials, of which the building envelope is constituted, increasingly urgent. The recent European (EU) Commission Decision 2021/476 is applicable to marble used in construction. It sets out criteria that companies producing marble have to accomplish to obtain the EU Ecolabel brand. Unfortunately, some criteria such as, for example, those that refer to the application of the Environmental Management System, ISO 14001 and EMAS certifications, or those that concern the ISO 14067 as well as the Product Environment Footprint procedure, are difficult to apply for …

Environmental management of granite slab production from an industrial ecology standpoint

Abstract The granite production chain is high energy and water intensive with low resource efficiency. This paper focus on characterizing the potential for environmental improvement of the granite production chain by promoting the optimization of sawing technology, the implementation of rainwater harvesting (RWH) and the material recovery of wasted granite (sludge). The environmental performance of multi-blade gangsaw (MBGS) and diamond multi-wire saw (DMWS) technologies is compared by mean of life cycle assessment. Results demonstrate that DMWS technology contribute 30% of water savings, 40% of energy savings and 80% of material savings per square meter of polished granite tiles (60 x 40 x…

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment al comparto edilizio – teoria e applicazioni pratiche.

The role of transportation and its involved sources of energy in the environmental assessment of marble producing sites

Marble is acquiring large popularity as building material. Since building materials are now required to be characterized by high energy and environmental performances, marble is entailed to fulfill top-level requirements. About its environmental performances an important European Decision establishes criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to this material. Unfortunately, this Decision is focused on mining and processing activities, seemingly neglecting marble transport. In contrast, this phase affects the whole working chain because it releases (pollutant) emissions and involves the use of primary and, in case, secondary energy sources. Here, the focus is on the role played by tr…

Toward a holistic environmental impact assessment of marble quarrying and processing: proposal of a novel easy-to-use IPAT-based method.

Marble is a natural dimension stone that is widely used in building due to its resistance and esthetic qualities. Unfortunately, some concerns have arisen regarding its production process because quarrying and processing activities demand significant amounts of energy and greatly affect the environment. Further, performing an environmental analysis of a production process such as that of marble requires the consideration of many environmental aspects (e.g., noise, vibrations, dust and waste production, energy consumption). Unfortunately, the current impact accounting tools do not seem to be capable of considering all of the major aspects of the (marble) production process that may affect th…

Materiali naturali in edilizia: analisi sperimentali e primi risultati.

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment: an implementation to marble products

ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY PERFORMANCES OF BUILDING PRODUCTS: A WORKING CHAIN BASED ANALYSIS

The present work is aimed at investigating the environmental and energy performances of products to be utilized in buildings. Specifically, marble (Section 1), granite (Section 2) and natural materials (Section 3) will be analyzed. The marble features are here studied on the basis of a field working chain audit. Particularly, two representative firms of the Custonaci productive basin (Trapani) have been considered. Their working chain have been investigated, by the point of view of the energy and materials flows, with a classical Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. Moreover, the social and economic impacts of such materials have also been assessed by means of the Life Cycle Costing (LCC) …

Analisi delle prestazioni di sostenibilità del marmo in edilizia

Modelling within-canopy heat exchanges of green roofing

Is the Eco-label EU Decision for hard coverings really capable of capturing the environmental performances of the marble productive chain? A field verification by means of a life cycle approach

Purpose This work intends to show whether the Eco-label EU Decision for hard coverings, in which marble is contemplated among hard coverings as a natural product, is really capable of capturing the environmental performances of the marble productive chain, in other words whether it is actually viable for the natural products, like marble. Methods After a preliminary critical analysis of the suitability formarble of the current EU Decision (2009/607/EC), a classical life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology has been applied on the field to the marble “Perlato di Sicilia.” More specifically, the whole productive chain of a couple of firms treating the “Perlato di Sicilia” marble has been examin…