ASTM E2921-13
(Practice)Standard Practice for Minimum Criteria for Comparing Whole Building Life Cycle Assessments for Use with Building Codes and Rating Systems
Standard Practice for Minimum Criteria for Comparing Whole Building Life Cycle Assessments for Use with Building Codes and Rating Systems
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This practice provides criteria that building design teams shall use to compare the environmental impacts associated with a reference building design and a final building design, including additions to existing buildings where applicable.
5.2 This practice deals specifically with material selection for initial construction, including associated maintenance and replacement cycles over an assumed service life, taking operating energy use into account if required or explicitly allowed under the applicable code or rating system.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice provides criteria to be applied irrespective of the assessment (LCA) tool that is used when LCA is undertaken at the whole building level to compare a final whole building design to a reference building design.
1.2 The purpose of this practice is to support the use of whole building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in building codes and building rating systems by ensuring that comparative assessments of final whole building designs relative to reference building designs take account of the relevant building features, life cycle stages, and related activities in similar fashion for both the reference and final building designs of the same building.
1.3 The criteria do not deal with building occupant behavior, possible future changes in building function, building rehabilitation or retrofit, or other matters that cannot be foreseen or reasonably estimated at the design or permitting stage, or both where this practice applies.
1.4 Only environmental impacts and aspects of sustainability are addressed in this practice. The social and economic impacts and aspects of sustainability are not addressed in this practice.
1.5 This practice does not deal with basic LCA methodology, calculation methods or related matters that are covered in cited international standards.
1.6 This practice does not supersede or modify existing ISO standards for the application of LCA at the product level, nor does it address the aggregation of building product Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) at the whole building level.
1.7 This practice does not specify the impact categories or sustainability aspects to be addressed in building codes or building rating systems and users of this practice conform to the impact category requirements specified in the applicable code or rating system.
1.8 The text of this standard contains notes that provide explanatory material. These notes shall not be considered as requirements of the standard.
1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
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Designation: E2921 − 13
StandardPractice for
Minimum Criteria for Comparing Whole Building Life Cycle
Assessments for Use with Building Codes and Rating
Systems
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2921; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope the impact category requirements specified in the applicable
code or rating system.
1.1 This practice provides criteria to be applied irrespective
of the assessment (LCA) tool that is used when LCA is 1.8 The text of this standard contains notes that provide
undertakenatthewholebuildingleveltocompareafinalwhole explanatory material. These notes shall not be considered as
building design to a reference building design. requirements of the standard.
1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the
1.2 The purpose of this practice is to support the use of
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
whole building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in building
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
codesandbuildingratingsystemsbyensuringthatcomparative
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
assessments of final whole building designs relative to refer-
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
ence building designs take account of the relevant building
features, life cycle stages, and related activities in similar
2. Referenced Documents
fashion for both the reference and final building designs of the
2.1 ASTM Standards:
same building.
E631 Terminology of Building Constructions
1.3 The criteria do not deal with building occupant
E2114 Terminology for Sustainability Relative to the Perfor-
behavior,possiblefuturechangesinbuildingfunction,building
mance of Buildings
rehabilitation or retrofit, or other matters that cannot be
2.2 Other Standards:
foreseen or reasonably estimated at the design or permitting
ISO 14040:2006 Environmental Management – Life Cycle
stage, or both where this practice applies.
Assessment – Principles and Framework
1.4 Only environmental impacts and aspects of sustainabil-
ISO 14044:2006 Environmental Management – Life Cycle
ity are addressed in this practice. The social and economic
Assessment – Requirements and Guidelines
impacts and aspects of sustainability are not addressed in this
ISO 14050 Terminology
practice.
3. Terminology
1.5 This practice does not deal with basic LCA
3.1 For terms related to building construction, refer to
methodology, calculation methods or related matters that are
Terminology E631.
covered in cited international standards.
3.2 For terms related to sustainability relative to the perfor-
1.6 This practice does not supersede or modify existing ISO
mance of buildings, refer to Terminology E2114.
standards for the application of LCA at the product level, nor
does it address the aggregation of building product Environ-
3.3 For terms related to LCA(for example, product system,
mental Product Declarations (EPDs) at the whole building
input, output) refer to ISO 14050 Terminology.
level.
3.4 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
1.7 This practice does not specify the impact categories or
3.4.1 building, n—a shelter comprising a partially or totally
sustainability aspects to be addressed in building codes or
enclosed space(s), erected by means of planned forces of
building rating systems and users of this practice conform to
forming and combining materials. E631
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E60 on contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Sustainability and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E60.01 on Buildings Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
and Construction. the ASTM website.
Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2013. Published December 2013. DOI: Available from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1, ch. de
10.1520/E2921-13 la Voie-Creuse, CP 56, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, http://www.iso.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E2921 − 13
3.4.2 building, v—the act or process of construction. E631 5. Significance and Use
3.4.3 building product—goods used during the life cycle of
5.1 This practice provides criteria that building design
a building as part of its infrastructure.
teams shall use to compare the environmental impacts associ-
ated with a reference building design and a final building
3.4.4 building service life—the period of time after installa-
design, including additions to existing buildings where appli-
tion during which a building (or its parts) meet or exceed the
cable.
performance requirement(s).
5.2 This practice deals specifically with material selection
3.4.5 characterization factor—factor derived from a char-
for initial construction, including associated maintenance and
acterization model that is applied to convert an assigned life
replacement cycles over an assumed service life, taking oper-
cycle inventory analysis result to the common unit of the
ating energy use into account if required or explicitly allowed
category indicator.
under the applicable code or rating system.
3.4.5.1 Discussion—The common unit allows calculation of
the category indicator result (ISO 14044).
6. Criteria
3.4.6 impact category—a class representing environmental
6.1 Building and Product Service Lives:
issue of concern to which life cycle inventory analysis results
6.1.1 Unless otherwise specified by the applicable code or
may be assigned.
rating system, the building service life shall be no less than 75
3.4.7 life cycle assessement (LCA)—compilation and evalu-
years.
ation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental
6.1.2 Thesamebuildingservicelifeshallbeassumedforthe
impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle.
reference building design and for the final design.
3.4.8 life cycle inventory analysis (LCI)—phase of life cycle
6.1.3 Product replacement schedules shall reflect the refer-
assessment involving the compilation and quantification of
ence service lives for individual products or materials and the
inputs and outputs for a product throughout its life cycle.
consequent number of replacements required over the assumed
3.4.9 operating energy—energy loads that are related to building service life.
building space conditioning, lighting, service water heating or 6.1.4 When the reference service life of a product is less
ventilation for human comfort. than the assumed building service life, the aggregate impacts
associated with the number of product replacements necessary
3.4.10 plug loads—all energy use by devices, appliances
toequaltheservicelifeofthebuildingshallbeincluded.When
and equipment connected to convenience receptacle outlets
the reference service life of the product is greater than the
during the building service life.
assumed building service life, the impacts associated with the
3.4.11 process energy—energy loads that are not directly
productshallnotbediscountedtoreflecttheremainingproduct
related to building space conditioning, lighting, service water
service life.
heating or ventilation for human comfort, sometimes referred
NOTE 1—If the expected life of a component is 20 years and the
to as ‘process loads.’
assumed building service life is 75 years, then the impacts would be
3.4.12 reference building design—a building design created
multiplied by 3.75 to normalize the changeovers to be equivalent to the
to be used as a benchmark, or baseline, against which a final
required75-yearlifeservice.However,iftheexpectedlifeofacomponent
design is compared to demonstrate improvement in perfor- is greater than 75 years, then the impacts would not be scaled.
mance for impact categories.
6.2 Life Cycle Stages:
3.4.13 reference service life—service life of a building 6.2.1 All life cycle stages associated with the building shall
be taken into account for the reference and final designs,
productthatisknownorexpectedunderaparticularset,thatis,
areferencesetofin-useconditionsandthatshallformthebasis including resource extraction or harvesting, building product
manufacturing, all related transportation, on-site construction,
of estimating the service life under other in-use conditions.
operations including maintenance and replacement, and decon-
3.4.14 relocatable modular building—a partially or com-
struction or demolition and disposal.
pletely assembled building that complies with applicable
6.2.2 The operations stage shall include operating energy
codes, or state regulations, at the time of construction and is
use if required or explicitly allowed by the applicable code or
constructed in a manufacturing facility using a modular con-
rating system, in which case the results of energy simulations
struction process. Relocatable modular buildings are designed
for the reference and final building designs shall be included in
to be reused or repurposed multiple times and transporte
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