• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.650-660
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• 2017

In this study, simplified LCA (life cycle assessment) tool was developed to increase accessibility and availability on LCA timber construction. The result of simplified LCA was compared with commercial program on LCA (Simapro.7) to verify its availability. As a result of evaluating environmental impacts with the Life Cycle Inventory of all processes, gap between LCA and simplified LCA tools of timber construction was about 1%. Therefore, the simplified LCA tool could analyse greenhouse gas emissions of timber construction and to expand number of data set through improved conveniency of users for developing database of timber construction in Korea. The reduction effects of greenhouse gas emissions of timber construction was about 53% of total emission offset up to construction phase. The results of this study would support decision making process to expand to timber construction policy to showcase environmental friendliness of timber construction. It was expected to contribute to response to the New climate regime in forestry.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.273-279
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• 2011

Concerns over the environment have spawned a number of research studies in the construction industry, as the construction of built environments and large infrastructures involves diverse environmental impacts and loads of hazardous emissions. Many researchers have attempted to quantify these environmental loads, including greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, to name a few. However, little research has been conducted regarding integrating the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of environmental loads with the current life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) approach. This study aims to estimate the environmental loads as a monetary value using the European Climate Exchange (ECX) rate and, then, to integrate those impacts with the pure construction cost. Toward this end, this study suggests an integrated approach that takes into account the environmental effect on the evaluation of the life-cycle cost (LCC). The bill of quantity (BOQ) data of a real highway project are collected and analyzed for this purpose. As a result, considering the environmental loads in the pavement process, the total LCC increased 16% from the traditional LCC cost. This study suggests an integrated approach that will account the environmental effect on the LCC. Additionally, this study is expected to contribute to better decision-making, from the perspective of more sustainable development, for government as well as for contractors.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 1999

Applicability of LCA in establishing the integrated solid waste management were examined. Data were collected from current waste management system. LCA method was then applied to find environmentally sustainable waste management. The process comprises five steps : (1) collecting data, comparing the data with comprehensive urban planning as well, (2) analyzing the current waste treatment procedure leading to the database establishment, (3) LCA for the waste management system, (4) finding alternative scenarios based on the former steps, (5) establishing the optimum method in Ecopolis, best fitted to the local situation. The results and suggestions in this study are expected to yield comprehensive analysis as to current practices in waste management. More importantly it will be a valuable data in minimizing environmental burdens in connecting with living environments of Ecopolis. Information regarding the urban system and total environmental quality are expected from this study.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.142-154
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• 2023

As the importance of the environment has been recognized worldwide, the need to calculate and reduce carbon emissions has been drawing an increasing attention throughout various industrial sections. Thereby the discipline of LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) involving raw material preparation, production processes, transportation and installation has been established. There is a clear research gap between the need and the practice for Korean Case of renewable energy industry, particularly wind power. To bridge the gap, this study conducted LCA research on wind power generation in the Korean area of Yeongdeok, an example of a domestic onshor wind power complex using SimaPro, which is the most widely used LCA system. As a result of the study, the energy recovery period (EPT) of one wind turbine is about 10 months, and the GHG emitted to generate power of 1 kwh is 15 g CO₂/kWh, which is competitive compared to other energy sources. In the environmental impact assessment by component, the results showed that the tower of wind turbines had the greatest impact on various environmental impact sectors. The experience gained in this study can be further used in strengthening the introduction of renewable energy and reducing the carbon emission in line with reducing climate change.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2023

Today 55 percent of the population in the world lives in urban areas which is expected to increase to 68 percent by the year 2050. In the cities, high-rise buildings as symbols of the modern cityscape are dominating the skylines, but the data to demonstrate their embodied energy and environmental impacts are scarce, compared to low- or mid-rise buildings. Reducing the embodied energy and environmental impacts of buildings is critical as about 42 percent of primary energy use and 39 percent of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from the building sector. However, it is an overlooked area in embodied energy and environmental impacts of high-rise buildings. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely used tool to quantify the embodied energy and environmental impacts of the building sector. LCA combined with Building Information Modeling (BIM) can simplify data acquisition of the building as well as provide both tools with feedback. Several studies recognize that the integration of BIM and LCA can simplify data acquisition of the building as well as provide tools with feedback. This article provides an overview of literature on BIM-based of embodied energy and environmental impacts of high-rise buildings. It also compares with different LCA methodologies. Finally, major strategies to reduce embodied energy and environmental impacts of high-rise buildings, research limitations and trends in the field are covered.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.851-857
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• 2018

In this research, LCA analysis of the manufacturing process of pot bearing for fixed, movable in all directions, movable in one direction was carried out to analyze the environmental load using the LCA methodology. Especially, the water footprint that has been and issue in recent years was analyzed. As a result of LCA, it was analyzed that the contribution of the plate was more than 64.2% in all of the six impact categories in the case of fixed pot bearing base, and more than 94% in the category of resource depletion and photochemical oxidant creation. In the case of all direction pot bearing and one direction pot bearing, the contribution of PTFE was the highest in the global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion, and the contribution by the plate was higher in the other impact categories. The water footprint of each type of pot bearing was analyzed as $22.4m^3\;H_2O\;eq/kg$ for one direction pot bearing, $17.1m^3\;H_2O\;eq/kg$ for fixed pot bearing, and $14.1m^3\;H_2O\;eq/kg$ for all direction pot bearing. As a result of life cycle analysis, the contribution of water use in manufacturing was more than 65% in all three types. The results of this study can be used as basic data for decision making in construction method and material selection of bridges in the future.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.119-127
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• 2014

This study aims to determine whether or not the input output life cycle assessment (I-O LCA) model can be used to assess the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of buildings in initial planning phase. To ensure this end, this study proposed I-O LCA model which is the simplified LCA model and Hybrid LCA model which is the detailed LCA model, and then assessed and compared the CO2 emission of six case projects (three apartment complexes and three educational facilities) using the two LCA model. The results of the case study showed that the CO2 emissions assessed by the I-O LCA is significantly similar to the CO2 emission assessed by the Hybrid LCA model. The similarity of results from both LCA models was 78.2-86.3% in apartment complexes and 59.9-84.8% in educational facilities. However, the CO2 emissions from I-O LCA model were smaller than the CO2 emissions from Hybrid LCA model in case study. Nevertheless, the case study showed that the I-O LCA model was capable of assessing the CO2 emission of buildings quite appropriately although the I-O LCA model is the simplified LCA model which considers only the construction cost. The I-O LCA model is expected to be a useful tool for assessing the CO2 emission of buildings in initial planning phase.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.9 no.5 s.36
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• pp.524-531
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• 2006

Environmental problem is one of important global issues. Transportations are main pollutant emission sources. Although railroad is stilt an environmental-friendly transportation, its environmental impact has been increased continuously. Especially, because a large amount of environmental impact is released from vehicles and facilities, it is necessary to assess and to reduce their environmental impact. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a representative method which can evaluate environment impact through the whole life cycle of a product or a process. In this study, the environmental impact of seat in the electric motor unit (EMU) was analyzed quantitatively with its material using lift cycle assessment (LCA). As a result, the characteristics of environmental impact were investigated differently with the material of seat. Among ten impact categories, the seat with aluminum and FRP showed the highest ozone depletion (OD). On the other hand, in the seat with stainless steel and plastic, fresh water aquatic ecotoxicity (FAET) and marine water aquatic ecotoxicity (MAET) were high relatively. Therefore, the parts of EMU must be selected considering the characteristics of environmental impact in future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.155-156
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• 2023

This study aims to analyze the factors that cause differences in the evaluation results of the life cycle carbon emissions assessment of buildings in both Korea and China as part of the methodology research of building life cycle assessment for Chinese buildings to promote building life cycle assessment in China. Specifically, it examines the building LCA standards of Korea and the standard for building carbon emission calculation in China as mentioned in the green building certification systems of both countries. Based on the investigation of the two standards, the life cycle carbon emissions of the evaluation target building were evaluated using the building life cycle assessment methods of both countries, and the influencing factors that cause differences in the life cycle carbon emission assessment results of the two countries were analyzed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1-7
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• 2019

To overcome the limitations of existing rainwater drainage systems, we compared and analyzed a newly developed eco-friendly channel-type rainwater drainage system. We also developed an integrated evaluation index to quantify the improvement of the new system. The concept of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied to calculate and compare the costs of each process and to develop the integrated evaluation index, which considers the carbon emissions by each process. As a result, the cost was reduced by 53% overall compared to an O-type system and by 63% compared to a U-type system. In addition, when applying the integrated evaluation index, the new system was evaluated to be over 80% in the four processes compared to the existing systems. When applying the evaluation index to sites in Anyang and Incheon, the new system was improved by 35-100% compared to existing systems.