ASTM E1991-05

Standard Guide for Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Building Materials/Products (Withdrawn 2014)

SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers a common framework and set of principles for potential users, such as product manufacturers, environmental analysts, consultants, architects, and the building industry in general. It describes a framework for life cycle inventory analysis, and describes various options and aspects of Impact Assessment and Interpretation.
1.2 The complexity and level of detail of an LCA will vary greatly depending on the material/product or system studied, the purpose and use of the study, the intended users of the study, and the resources committed to complete the study. The level of detail can range from generic to material/product specific.
1.3 This guide does not describe in detail the actual techniques for performing a LCA.
1.4 LCA is an emerging methodology, which is still evolving. This guide will present its concepts and major features. It should enable the user to better understand LCA and its application to building materials/products, and help to identify sources of additional information and guidance. LCA is only one of many tools designed to aid in environmental evaluation and decision making.
1.5 The component phases of LCA, including goal definition and scoping, inventory, impact assessment, interpretation, and the various methodologies used in these phases are in various stages of development. Consequently, the results of an LCA must be understood in the context of their completeness and accuracy and must be applied appropriately. LCA does not necessarily proceed as a linear process through these phases but is conducted in an iterative fashion.
WITHDRAWN RATIONALE
This guide covers a common framework and set of principles for potential users, such as product manufacturers, environmental analysts, consultants, architects, and the building industry in general. It describes a framework for life cycle inventory analysis, and describes various options and aspects of Impact Assessment and Interpretation.
Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee E60 on Sustainability, this guide was withdrawn in January 2014 in accordance with section 10.6.3 of the Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees, which requires that standards shall be updated by the end of the eighth year since the last approval date.

General Information

• Status: Withdrawn
• Publication Date: 30-Jun-2005
• Withdrawal Date: 06-Jan-2014
• ICS: 91.100.01 - Construction materials in general
• Technical Committee: E60 - Sustainability
• Drafting Committee: E60.01 - Buildings and Construction

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM E1991-98 - Standard Guide for Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Building Materials/Products
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2005

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation: E1991 − 05
StandardGuide for
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Building
1
Materials/Products
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1991; 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.
INTRODUCTION
This is a general guide for the application of environmental Life CycleAssessment (LCA) as a tool
for evaluating the environmental aspects of materials/products, processes, and services produced and
used in buildings and the built environment. This guide does not include, necessarily, all of the
environmental features and impacts of the complete building life cycle, but focuses on those issues
directly related to building materials/products and those elements of the building’s environmental
performance affected by these materials/products. Fig. 1 illustrates the total life cycle of a building.
Fig.2isanexampleoftherelationshipbetweenthelifecycleprocessesofbuildingmaterials/products
and the total life cycle of a building and illustrates how these product/material life cycle processes
merge with the total building life cycle. Fig. 3 illustrates an example of the life cycle of a building
construction material within the context of the total building life cycle.
1. Scope sources of additional information and guidance. LCA is only
one of many tools designed to aid in environmental evaluation
1.1 This guide covers a common framework and set of
and decision making.
principles for potential users, such as product manufacturers,
1.5 The component phases of LCA, including goal defini-
environmental analysts, consultants, architects, and the build-
ing industry in general. It describes a framework for life cycle tion and scoping, inventory, impact assessment, interpretation,
and the various methodologies used in these phases are in
inventory analysis, and describes various options and aspects
of Impact Assessment and Interpretation. various stages of development. Consequently, the results of an
LCA must be understood in the context of their completeness
1.2 The complexity and level of detail of an LCA will vary
and accuracy and must be applied appropriately. LCAdoes not
greatly depending on the material/product or system studied,
necessarily proceed as a linear process through these phases
the purpose and use of the study, the intended users of the
but is conducted in an iterative fashion.
study, and the resources committed to complete the study. The
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
level of detail can range from generic to material/product
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
specific.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
1.3 This guide does not describe in detail the actual tech-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
niques for performing a LCA.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.4 LCA is an emerging methodology, which is still evolv-
2. Referenced Documents
ing. This guide will present its concepts and major features. It
2
should enable the user to better understand LCA and its 2.1 ASTM Standards:
E631 Terminology of Building Constructions
application to building materials/products, and help to identify
E1765 Practice for Applying Analytical Hierarchy Process
(AHP) to Multiattribute DecisionAnalysis of Investments
Related to Buildings and Building Systems
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E60 on
Sustainability and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E60.01 on Buildings
2
and Construction. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Current edition approved July 1, 2005. Published July 2005. Originally approved contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
in 1998. Last previous edition approved in 2004 as E1991 – 98 (2004). DOI: Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
10.1520/E1991-05. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
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E1991 − 05
FIG. 1 Total Life Cycle of a Building
FIG. 2 Flow of Building Materials/Products into Building Life Cycle
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E1991 − 05
FIG. 3 Example of Building Material/Product Segment of Total Building Life Cycle
E2114 Terminology for Sustainability Relative to the Perfor- Discussion—At each stage, the product and its components
mance of Buildings
are evaluated based upon materials and energy consumed, and
...