Effect of service life aspects on carbon footprint: a comparison of wood decking products
-
Lars G. F. Tellnes
,
Gry Alfredsen
Abstract
Carbon footprint over the life cycle is one of the most common environmental performance indicators. In recent years, several wood material producers have published environmental product declarations (EPDs) according to the EN 15804, which makes it possible to compare the carbon footprint of product alternatives. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of service life aspects by comparing the carbon footprint of treated wood decking products with similar performance expectations. The results showed that the modified wood products had substantially larger carbon footprints during manufacturing than preservative-treated decking materials. Replacement of modified wood during service life creates a huge impact on life cycle carbon footprint, while maintenance with oil provided a large contribution for preservative-treated decking. Hence, service life and maintenance intervals are crucial for the performance ranking between products. The methodological issues to be aware of are: how the functional unit specifies the key performance requirements for the installed product, and whether full replacement is the best modeling option in cases where the decking installation is close to the end of the required service life.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of COST FP 1407 to enable international cooperation and for funding part of the travel to present this research at the ECWM conference.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Wood modification research in Europe
- Review
- Outlook for modified wood use and regulations in circular economy
- Original Articles
- Suitability of a lignin-derived mono-phenol mimic to replace phenol in phenol-formaldehyde resin for use in wood treatment
- Beech wood treated with polyglycerol succinate: a new effective method for its protection and stabilization
- Study on the impregnation quality of rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg.) and English oak (Quercus robur L.) sawn veneers after treatment with 1,3-dimethylol-4,5- dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU)
- The effect of diammonium phosphate and sodium silicate on the adhesion and fire properties of birch veneer
- Enhanced bonding of acetylated wood with an MUF-based adhesive and a resorcinol-formaldehyde-based primer
- Brown rot gene expression and regulation in acetylated and furfurylated wood: a complex picture
- Investigation of the effect of aging on wood hygroscopicity by 2D 1H NMR relaxometry
- Dynamic vapour sorption protocols for the quantification of accessible hydroxyl groups in wood
- A molecular model for reversible and irreversible hygroscopicity changes by thermal wood modification
- Effect of service life aspects on carbon footprint: a comparison of wood decking products
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Wood modification research in Europe
- Review
- Outlook for modified wood use and regulations in circular economy
- Original Articles
- Suitability of a lignin-derived mono-phenol mimic to replace phenol in phenol-formaldehyde resin for use in wood treatment
- Beech wood treated with polyglycerol succinate: a new effective method for its protection and stabilization
- Study on the impregnation quality of rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg.) and English oak (Quercus robur L.) sawn veneers after treatment with 1,3-dimethylol-4,5- dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU)
- The effect of diammonium phosphate and sodium silicate on the adhesion and fire properties of birch veneer
- Enhanced bonding of acetylated wood with an MUF-based adhesive and a resorcinol-formaldehyde-based primer
- Brown rot gene expression and regulation in acetylated and furfurylated wood: a complex picture
- Investigation of the effect of aging on wood hygroscopicity by 2D 1H NMR relaxometry
- Dynamic vapour sorption protocols for the quantification of accessible hydroxyl groups in wood
- A molecular model for reversible and irreversible hygroscopicity changes by thermal wood modification
- Effect of service life aspects on carbon footprint: a comparison of wood decking products
