LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF LOW CARBON SANDWICH PANELS WITH WOOD FIBRE CORE

Abstract

Wood is a popular material in civil engineering due to its renewability and ability to store carbon during the growing in forests. However, the LCA of wood-based materials is currently based on the balance of carbon without considering the dynamic changes of forests over time and the effects of climate change, like wildfires, on this balance. Hence, this paper is the first step towards the development of a dynamic LCA of forests considering climate change effects on the carbon balance of forests. The paper focusses on the life cycle analysis of sandwich panels with a core made of wood fibers, based on current databases, and aims to illustrate the importance of biogenic carbon in the whole life cycle of such panels, particularly when compared with other traditional panels.