Key Studies
- Life Cycle Environmental Performance of Renewable Building Materials in the Context of Residential Construction – Phase I – Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM), 2005
- Life Cycle Environmental Performance of Renewable Building Materials in the Context of Residential Construction – Phase II – CORRIM, 2010
- Synthesis of Research on Wood Products & Greenhouse Gas Impacts, 2nd Edition – R. Sarthe, J. O’Connor, FPInnovations, 2010
- Wooden building products in comparative LCA: A literature review – International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 12(7): 470-479, F. Werner, K. Richter, 2007
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Big Box Retail: Cost and environmental studies compare wood and steel buildings – WoodWorks, 2015
LCA Tools
- Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings – Whole-building tool used by design teams to explore different material choices and core-and-shell system options; applicable for new construction, renovations and additions in all North American building types – Free from the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute
Publications and Articles
- An Overview of Life Cycle Assessment – Athena Institute, Building Safety Journal
- Misconceptions and Misunderstanding about LCA – Athena Institute, Building Safety Journal
- The Future of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Codes – Athena Institute, Building Safety Journal
LCA Organizations
- Athena Institute – LCA research, information and tools, including North America’s only LCA tool for whole buildings, the free Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings
- Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) – Research and information materials focused on the environmental impacts of wood and other bio-based materials
- Dovetail Partners Inc. – Information about the impacts and trade-offs of environmental decisions, including consumption choices, land use and policy alternatives
- National Institute for Standards and Technology – BEES® (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) software for product-focused LCA