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Dr. Richard Bergman
USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI 53726-2398,USA

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0 green buildings
0 Life-cycle analysis
0 Eco-labels
0 Forest and forest products carbon
0 GHG mitigation

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Short Biography

Dr. Richard (Rick) Bergman's major research objectives include: 1) developing life-cycle assessments (LCA) and conducting comparative LCAs for product, building, and energy systems, 2) investigating GHG mitigation strategies using harvested wood products in buildings in conjunction with forest management practices and final disposition of wood products, 3) conducting system and scale-up analyses using robust artificial intelligence-based data analytics, and 4) minor focus on economic assessments. Rick has a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and Master’s and PhD in Wood Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rick also participates in green building standard and product category rule development.

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Journal article
Published: 13 July 2021 in Sustainability
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Global construction industry has a huge influence on world primary energy consumption, spending, and greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. To better understand these factors for mass timber construction, this work quantified the life cycle environmental and economic performances of a high-rise mass timber building in U.S. Pacific Northwest region through the use of life-cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Using the TRACI impact category method, the cradle-to-grave LCA results showed better environmental performances for the mass timber building relative to conventional concrete building, with 3153 kg CO2-eq per m2 floor area compared to 3203 CO2-eq per m2 floor area, respectively. Over 90% of GHGs emissions occur at the operational stage with a 60-year study period. The end-of-life recycling of mass timber could provide carbon offset of 364 kg CO2-eq per m2 floor that lowers the GHG emissions of the mass timber building to a total 12% lower GHGs emissions than concrete building. The LCCA results showed that mass timber building had total life cycle cost of $3976 per m2 floor area that was 9.6% higher than concrete building, driven mainly by upfront construction costs related to the mass timber material. Uncertainty analysis of mass timber product pricing provided a pathway for builders to make mass timber buildings cost competitive. The integration of LCA and LCCA on mass timber building study can contribute more information to the decision makers such as building developers and policymakers.

ACS Style

Shaobo Liang; Hongmei Gu; Richard Bergman. Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of a High-Rise Mass Timber Building: A Case Study in Pacific Northwestern United States. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7831 .

AMA Style

Shaobo Liang, Hongmei Gu, Richard Bergman. Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of a High-Rise Mass Timber Building: A Case Study in Pacific Northwestern United States. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7831.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shaobo Liang; Hongmei Gu; Richard Bergman. 2021. "Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of a High-Rise Mass Timber Building: A Case Study in Pacific Northwestern United States." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7831.

Journal article
Published: 19 January 2021 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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The meat industry in the US generates considerable amount of slaughterhouse waste (SHW), which is typically converted into more useable products through the rendering process. Although rendering generates sellable fat and meal commodities, it has large environmental impacts because it is energy intensive. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technology for treating SHW and reducing environmental impact through biogas production to generate heat or electricity, as well as by enabling nutrient recovery and pathogen reduction. This study compared the life-cycle energy use and global warming impact of treating SHW with traditional rendering with AD to produce heat and electricity. The study also considered the co-digestion of SHW with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and sewage sludge. A cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to quantify the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of these systems for treating SHW. We compared three scenarios: (1) AD of SHW, (2) Co-AD of SHW with OFMSW, and (3) Co-AD of SHW with sewage sludge to reference systems of simple rendering and composting. The study findings revealed that the total cradle-to-gate energy use and GHG emissions by treating SHW with AD and co-AD were 0.5−6.7 GJ/1000 kg-SHW and 400−834 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW, whereas for the rendering control scenarios total cradle-to-gate energy use and GHG emissions were 1.9 GJ/1000 kg-SHW and 96.4 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW, respectively. However, considering all the benefits of treating SHW with co-AD, including the displacement of fossil fuel and electricity and nitrogen fertilizers generated as system outputs, these systems perform better than the rendering process. Compared to the reference systems, the GHG reduction potential of treating SHW with co-AD varied between 426.8 and 524.0 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW. Among all input parameters, methane (CH₄) leak from the AD system, and nitrogen fertilizer displacement were the most sensitive parameters affecting the results. By implementing AD of SHW in meat industries in the southeast US, the energy production and GHG emissions reduction potential were estimated to be 22–29 × 10⁶ GJ and 1.6–2.0 × 109 kg-CO₂-eq per year, respectively. The results indicate that the AD of SHW can substantially reduce GHG emissions of the US meat industry as well as produce bioenergy to provide energy security in the US.

ACS Style

Shunli Wang; KamalaKanta Sahoo; Umakanta Jena; Hongmin Dong; Richard Bergman; Troy Runge. Life-cycle assessment of treating slaughterhouse waste using anaerobic digestion systems. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 292, 126038 .

AMA Style

Shunli Wang, KamalaKanta Sahoo, Umakanta Jena, Hongmin Dong, Richard Bergman, Troy Runge. Life-cycle assessment of treating slaughterhouse waste using anaerobic digestion systems. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 292 ():126038.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shunli Wang; KamalaKanta Sahoo; Umakanta Jena; Hongmin Dong; Richard Bergman; Troy Runge. 2021. "Life-cycle assessment of treating slaughterhouse waste using anaerobic digestion systems." Journal of Cleaner Production 292, no. : 126038.

Journal article
Published: 09 June 2020 in Sustainability
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Buildings consume large amounts of materials and energy, making them one of the highest environmental impactors. Quantifying the impact of building materials can be critical to developing an effective greenhouse gas mitigation strategy. Using Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings (IE4B), this paper compares cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment (LCA) results for a 12-story building constructed from cross-laminated timber (CLT) and a functionally equivalent reinforced concrete (RC) building. Following EN 15978 framework, environmental impacts for stages A1–A5 (product to construction), B2, B4, and B6 (use), C1–C4 (end of life), and D (beyond the building life) were evaluated in detail along resource efficiency. For material resource efficiency, total mass of the CLT building was 33.2% less than the alternative RC building. For modules A to C and not considering operational energy use (B6), LCA results show a 20.6% reduction in embodied carbon achieved for the CLT building, compared to the RC building. For modules A to D and not considering B6, the embodied carbon assessment revealed that for the CLT building, 6.57 × 105 kg CO2 eq was emitted, whereas for the equivalent RC building, 2.16 × 106 kg CO2 eq was emitted, and emissions from CLT building was 70% lower than that from RC building. Additionally, 1.84 × 106 kg of CO2 eq was stored in the wood material used in the CLT building during its lifetime. Building material selection should be considered for the urgent need to reduce global climate change impacts.

ACS Style

Zhongjia Chen; Hongmei Gu; Richard D. Bergman; Shaobo Liang. Comparative Life-Cycle Assessment of a High-Rise Mass Timber Building with an Equivalent Reinforced Concrete Alternative Using the Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4708 .

AMA Style

Zhongjia Chen, Hongmei Gu, Richard D. Bergman, Shaobo Liang. Comparative Life-Cycle Assessment of a High-Rise Mass Timber Building with an Equivalent Reinforced Concrete Alternative Using the Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (11):4708.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhongjia Chen; Hongmei Gu; Richard D. Bergman; Shaobo Liang. 2020. "Comparative Life-Cycle Assessment of a High-Rise Mass Timber Building with an Equivalent Reinforced Concrete Alternative Using the Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings." Sustainability 12, no. 11: 4708.

Journal article
Published: 16 May 2020 in Sustainable Cities and Society
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Pacific Northwest policy makers are excited about the emergence of mass timber into U.S. construction markets as the product potentially creates local manufacturing jobs while utilizing Douglas fir growing sustainably in the region. This study assessed regional economic impacts generated by mass timber high-rise construction in Oregon. Economic impact estimates were derived using a regionally specific input-output model combined with analysis-by-parts methodology. Financial data from Portland’s 12-story Framework building, estimated using RSMeans software, provided purchasing information. The study’s economic model made use of regionally specific socioeconomic data from the American Community Survey to determine how economic impacts translated into increased earnings for study area residents. Because building with mass timber represented product substitution over traditional construction practices, this study assessed regional impacts of mass timber construction alongside the opportunity costs associated with a concrete frame alternative. Net impact assessment results indicated that construction of the 12-story building using a mass timber design generated larger economic impacts than traditional concrete frame construction and generated additional earnings for households of all income levels. Panels must be produced locally to realize the full economic benefits of mass timber construction as importing panels from outside the state creates economic leakage that reduces economic benefits.

ACS Style

Adam Scouse; Stephen S. Kelley; Shaobo Liang; Richard Bergman. Regional and net economic impacts of high-rise mass timber construction in Oregon. Sustainable Cities and Society 2020, 61, 102154 .

AMA Style

Adam Scouse, Stephen S. Kelley, Shaobo Liang, Richard Bergman. Regional and net economic impacts of high-rise mass timber construction in Oregon. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2020; 61 ():102154.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adam Scouse; Stephen S. Kelley; Shaobo Liang; Richard Bergman. 2020. "Regional and net economic impacts of high-rise mass timber construction in Oregon." Sustainable Cities and Society 61, no. : 102154.

Review
Published: 29 August 2019 in Sustainability
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Climate change, environmental degradation, and limited resources are motivations for sustainable forest management. Forests, the most abundant renewable resource on earth, used to make a wide variety of forest-based products for human consumption. To provide a scientific measure of a product’s sustainability and environmental performance, the life cycle assessment (LCA) method is used. This article provides a comprehensive review of environmental performances of forest-based products including traditional building products, emerging (mass-timber) building products and nanomaterials using attributional LCA. Across the supply chain, the product manufacturing life-cycle stage tends to have the largest environmental impacts. However, forest management activities and logistics tend to have the greatest economic impact. In addition, environmental trade-offs exist when regulating emissions as indicated by the latest traditional wood building product LCAs. Interpretation of these LCA results can guide new product development using biomaterials, future (mass) building systems and policy-making on mitigating climate change. Key challenges include handling of uncertainties in the supply chain and complex interactions of environment, material conversion, resource use for product production and quantifying the emissions released.

ACS Style

KamalaKanta Sahoo; Richard Bergman; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Hongmei Gu; Shaobo Liang. Life Cycle Assessment of Forest-Based Products: A Review. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4722 .

AMA Style

KamalaKanta Sahoo, Richard Bergman, Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum, Hongmei Gu, Shaobo Liang. Life Cycle Assessment of Forest-Based Products: A Review. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (17):4722.

Chicago/Turabian Style

KamalaKanta Sahoo; Richard Bergman; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Hongmei Gu; Shaobo Liang. 2019. "Life Cycle Assessment of Forest-Based Products: A Review." Sustainability 11, no. 17: 4722.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2019 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Forest residue biomass can be used as bioenergy feedstock, however, issues associated with its properties including low density and high moisture content constrains its valorization. Using mobile conversion technologies that can operate in remote areas and are capable of converting forest residues into high quality energy products can address the issues associated with its valorization for renewable energy production. This study evaluated environmental sustainability of using an integrated novel system of semi-mobile biomass conversion technologies (BCTs) to utilize low-value forest residue biomass as high value bioenergy products. A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) and resource use assessment on a unit-process level was conducted for two bio-products: nontorrefied briquettes (NTB) and torrefied briquettes (TOB). Their use for production of useful thermal energy in wood stoves for domestic heating and electricity at power plants were investigated along with their alternatives. The analyses were performed with SimaPro 8.5 using the DATASMART database. The impact assessment results showed a notable decrease in global warming (GW) impact when substituting fossil fuels with these two bio-products. Specifically, for domestic heating on an equivalent energy basis, a 50% substitution of propane with NTB and TOB showed GHG emission reductions of 46% and 41%, respectively. For electricity generation, 10% cofiring at coal power plant with NTB and TOB showed GHG emission reductions of 6% and 8%, respectively. For the TOB supply chain, a large portion of the GW impact of the came from the torrefaction process and followed by the drying process. This was due to the propane use in these processes. Comparative analysis showed that near-woods biomass conversion for TOB production instead of processing feedstock at an in-town facility with access to grid electricity found 48%–55% lower GW impact for both electricity and heat generation scenarios, respectively. Resourced footprint analysis showed that most exergy extraction from the natural environment came from the drying process for NTB supply chain. In the TOB product system, torrefaction was the major contributor.

ACS Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Richard D. Bergman. Life-cycle impact and exergy based resource use assessment of torrefied and non-torrefied briquette use for heat and electricity generation. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 233, 918 -931.

AMA Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum, Richard D. Bergman. Life-cycle impact and exergy based resource use assessment of torrefied and non-torrefied briquette use for heat and electricity generation. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 233 ():918-931.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Richard D. Bergman. 2019. "Life-cycle impact and exergy based resource use assessment of torrefied and non-torrefied briquette use for heat and electricity generation." Journal of Cleaner Production 233, no. : 918-931.

Report
Published: 01 January 2019 in Comparative life-cycle assessment of biochar activated carbon and synthesis gas electricity with commercially available alternatives
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ACS Style

Richard Bergman; Hongmei Gu; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Shaobo Liang. Comparative life-cycle assessment of biochar activated carbon and synthesis gas electricity with commercially available alternatives. Comparative life-cycle assessment of biochar activated carbon and synthesis gas electricity with commercially available alternatives 2019, 270, 1 -32.

AMA Style

Richard Bergman, Hongmei Gu, Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum, Shaobo Liang. Comparative life-cycle assessment of biochar activated carbon and synthesis gas electricity with commercially available alternatives. Comparative life-cycle assessment of biochar activated carbon and synthesis gas electricity with commercially available alternatives. 2019; 270 ():1-32.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Richard Bergman; Hongmei Gu; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Shaobo Liang. 2019. "Comparative life-cycle assessment of biochar activated carbon and synthesis gas electricity with commercially available alternatives." Comparative life-cycle assessment of biochar activated carbon and synthesis gas electricity with commercially available alternatives 270, no. : 1-32.

Report
Published: 01 January 2019 in Life-cycle cost analysis of a mass-timber building: methodology and hypothetical case study
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ACS Style

Shaobo Liang; Hongmei Gu; Ted Bilek; Richard Bergman. Life-cycle cost analysis of a mass-timber building: methodology and hypothetical case study. Life-cycle cost analysis of a mass-timber building: methodology and hypothetical case study 2019, 702, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Shaobo Liang, Hongmei Gu, Ted Bilek, Richard Bergman. Life-cycle cost analysis of a mass-timber building: methodology and hypothetical case study. Life-cycle cost analysis of a mass-timber building: methodology and hypothetical case study. 2019; 702 ():1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shaobo Liang; Hongmei Gu; Ted Bilek; Richard Bergman. 2019. "Life-cycle cost analysis of a mass-timber building: methodology and hypothetical case study." Life-cycle cost analysis of a mass-timber building: methodology and hypothetical case study 702, no. : 1-11.

Journal article
Published: 10 November 2018 in Applied Energy
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Wildfires are getting extreme and more frequent because of increased fuel loads in the forest and extended dry conditions. Prevention of wildfire by fuel treatment methods will generate forest residues in large volumes, which in addition to available logging residues, can be used to produce biofuels and bioproducts. In this study, the techno-economic assessment of three portable systems to produce woodchips briquettes (WCB), torrefied-woodchips briquettes (TWCB) and biochar from forest residues were evaluated using pilot-scale experimental data. A discounted cash flow rate of return method was used to estimate minimum selling prices (MSPs) for each product, to conduct sensitivity analyses, and to identify potential cost-reduction strategies. Using a before-finance-and-tax 16.5% nominal required return on investment, and a mean transport distance of 200 km, the estimated delivered MSPs per oven-dry metric ton (ODMT) of WCB, TWCB, and biochar were $162, $274, and $1044 respectively. The capital investment (16–30%), labor cost (23–28%), and feedstock cost (10–13%) without stumpage cost were the major factors influencing the MSP of solid biofuels and biochar. However, the MSPs of WCB, TWCB, and biochar could be reduced to $65, $145, and $470/ODMT respectively with technologically improved portable systems. In addition, the MSPs of solid biofuels and biochar could be further reduced by renewable energy and carbon credits, if the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potentials are quantified and remunerated. In conclusion, portable systems could be economically feasible to use forest residues and make useful products at current market prices while simultaneously reducing potential wildfires and GHG emissions.

ACS Style

KamalaKanta Sahoo; Edward Bilek; Richard Bergman; Sudhagar Mani. Techno-economic analysis of producing solid biofuels and biochar from forest residues using portable systems. Applied Energy 2018, 235, 578 -590.

AMA Style

KamalaKanta Sahoo, Edward Bilek, Richard Bergman, Sudhagar Mani. Techno-economic analysis of producing solid biofuels and biochar from forest residues using portable systems. Applied Energy. 2018; 235 ():578-590.

Chicago/Turabian Style

KamalaKanta Sahoo; Edward Bilek; Richard Bergman; Sudhagar Mani. 2018. "Techno-economic analysis of producing solid biofuels and biochar from forest residues using portable systems." Applied Energy 235, no. : 578-590.

Journal article
Published: 20 July 2018 in Wood and Fiber Science
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Activated carbon (AC) developed and marketed for water and gas purification is traditionally made from hard coals (fossil-based materials). However, increasing awareness of environmental impacts caused by fossil fuel consumption and fossil-based products has provided a market opportunity for renewable and low-impact biobased products as alternatives including AC. The huge volumes of woody biomass generated from forest management activities could be used as feedstocks for these new bioproducts. These new bioproducts require evaluation to determine if they are low impact. To aid in quantifying environmental impacts of a new bioproduct (such as AC), this study developed the cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory (LCI) data for the carbon activation of biochar in a rotary calciner by collecting operational and direct emission data while conforming to the internationally accepted life cycle assessmentmethod. The LCI datawere then modeled to develop the life cycle impact assessment profile of biochar-based carbon activation and compared with commercial coal-based carbon activation. The results showed about 35% less cradle-to-product gate cumulative energy demand for the biochar AC system compared with the coal AC system. Consequentially, the greenhouse gas emissions for biochar AC production were less than half that of coal AC production (8.60 kg CO2 eq vs 18.28 kg CO2 eq per kg of AC produced). This was because of both lower energy consumption and the biogenic carbon benefit from using woody biomass for both feedstock and processing. To ensure substitution of the two ACs, the physical properties for the AC from biochar and coal were compared for their Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and iodine number, which showed that both indicators were superior for biochar AC compared with coal AC. Therefore, biochar AC results from this study suggest a potential high-value market for woody biomass derived from forest restoration and wildfire suppression activities.

ACS Style

Hongmei Gu; Richard Bergman; Nathaniel Anderson; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM WOODY BIOMASS. Wood and Fiber Science 2018, 50, 229 -243.

AMA Style

Hongmei Gu, Richard Bergman, Nathaniel Anderson, Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM WOODY BIOMASS. Wood and Fiber Science. 2018; 50 (3):229-243.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hongmei Gu; Richard Bergman; Nathaniel Anderson; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. 2018. "LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM WOODY BIOMASS." Wood and Fiber Science 50, no. 3: 229-243.

Proceedings article
Published: 20 June 2018 in Environmental Impact IV
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ACS Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Richard Bergman; Brad Gething. DEVELOPING PROCEDURES AND GUIDANCE FOR PERFORMING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF US WOODEN PALLETS. Environmental Impact IV 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum, Richard Bergman, Brad Gething. DEVELOPING PROCEDURES AND GUIDANCE FOR PERFORMING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF US WOODEN PALLETS. Environmental Impact IV. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Richard Bergman; Brad Gething. 2018. "DEVELOPING PROCEDURES AND GUIDANCE FOR PERFORMING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF US WOODEN PALLETS." Environmental Impact IV , no. : 1.

Report
Published: 01 January 2018 in Life cycle assessment and environmental building declaration for the design building at the University of Massachusetts
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ACS Style

Hongmei Gu; Richard Bergman. Life cycle assessment and environmental building declaration for the design building at the University of Massachusetts. Life cycle assessment and environmental building declaration for the design building at the University of Massachusetts 2018, 255, 1 -73.

AMA Style

Hongmei Gu, Richard Bergman. Life cycle assessment and environmental building declaration for the design building at the University of Massachusetts. Life cycle assessment and environmental building declaration for the design building at the University of Massachusetts. 2018; 255 ():1-73.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hongmei Gu; Richard Bergman. 2018. "Life cycle assessment and environmental building declaration for the design building at the University of Massachusetts." Life cycle assessment and environmental building declaration for the design building at the University of Massachusetts 255, no. : 1-73.

Report
Published: 01 January 2018 in Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of briquette production from forest residues
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ACS Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Richard Bergman. Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of briquette production from forest residues. Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of briquette production from forest residues 2018, 262, 2 -24.

AMA Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum, Richard Bergman. Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of briquette production from forest residues. Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of briquette production from forest residues. 2018; 262 ():2-24.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Richard Bergman. 2018. "Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of briquette production from forest residues." Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of briquette production from forest residues 262, no. : 2-24.

Report
Published: 01 January 2018 in Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of torrefied briquette production from forest residues
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ACS Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Richard Bergman. Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of torrefied briquette production from forest residues. Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of torrefied briquette production from forest residues 2018, 263, 1 -26.

AMA Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum, Richard Bergman. Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of torrefied briquette production from forest residues. Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of torrefied briquette production from forest residues. 2018; 263 ():1-26.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum; Richard Bergman. 2018. "Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of torrefied briquette production from forest residues." Using life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of torrefied briquette production from forest residues 263, no. : 1-26.

Report
Published: 01 January 2018 in Workflow for publishing forestry LCI data through the LCA commons: a case study
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ACS Style

Shaobo Liang; Richard Bergman; Hongmei Gu. Workflow for publishing forestry LCI data through the LCA commons: a case study. Workflow for publishing forestry LCI data through the LCA commons: a case study 2018, 364, 1 -6.

AMA Style

Shaobo Liang, Richard Bergman, Hongmei Gu. Workflow for publishing forestry LCI data through the LCA commons: a case study. Workflow for publishing forestry LCI data through the LCA commons: a case study. 2018; 364 ():1-6.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shaobo Liang; Richard Bergman; Hongmei Gu. 2018. "Workflow for publishing forestry LCI data through the LCA commons: a case study." Workflow for publishing forestry LCI data through the LCA commons: a case study 364, no. : 1-6.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2017 in Forest Products Journal
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To keep environmental product declarations current, the underlying life-cycle inventory (LCI) data and subsequent life-cycle assessment (LCA) data for structural wood products must be updated. Using weight-averaged production primary data collected from industry for the year 2012, LCIs were updated for laminated veneer lumber (LVL) production on a 1.0 m3 basis in the Southeast (SE) and Pacific Northwest (PNW) regions of the United States. In addition, a cradle-to-gate life-cycle impact assessments (LCIAs) were performed to assess the environmental impacts associated with LVL production for both regions. The cradle-to-gate LCIAs included three life cycle stages: forestry operations, dry veneer production, and LVL production. The LCIs revealed that the dry veneer life-cycle stage dominated overall primary energy consumption for both the SE and PNW at 6.83 (68.5%) and 6.75 GJ/m3 (75.3%), respectively. Energy consumption at veneer stage was primarily based on renewable sources, especially wood fuel consumed on-site for thermal energy generation. In contrast, LVL production stage was mainly dependent on fossil fuels where the major resources consumed were natural gas and coal. The LCIA results showed that the veneer production stage dominated the majority of the five impact categories investigated with above 50% contribution. Yet, the LVL production stage had a significant contribution to the ozone depletion impact category, with 92% and 98% of total impact, at SE and PNW regions, respectively coming from resin production used in LVL manufacturing. Overall, the contribution of forestry operations to the resulting impacts were minor.

ACS Style

Richard D. Bergman; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. Cradle-to-Gate Life-Cycle Assessment of Laminated Veneer Lumber Production in the United States*. Forest Products Journal 2017, 67, 343 -354.

AMA Style

Richard D. Bergman, Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. Cradle-to-Gate Life-Cycle Assessment of Laminated Veneer Lumber Production in the United States*. Forest Products Journal. 2017; 67 (5-6):343-354.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Richard D. Bergman; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. 2017. "Cradle-to-Gate Life-Cycle Assessment of Laminated Veneer Lumber Production in the United States*." Forest Products Journal 67, no. 5-6: 343-354.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2017 in Forest Products Journal
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Transparency of environmental impacts for building products are of increasing concern. For wood building products, updating life cycle assessment (LCA) data are critical to ensure the corresponding environmental product declarations are of the proper recency to maintain this transparency. This study focused on the developing up-to-dated life cycle inventory (LCI) and associated life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) data for composite I-joist production in Southeast (SE) and Pacific Northwest (PNW) regions of the United States. Components of the I-joist production system included in the analysis were laminated veneer lumber (LVL), finger-jointed lumber (FJL), and oriented strand board (OSB) while this study considered five life cycle stages including forestry operations and I-joist manufacturing in addition to the production of the components. Primary 2012 production data were collected and analyzed and the resultant LCI flow and LCIA were modeled on a declared unit of 1.0 km. The cradle-to-gate primary energy consumption was 73.4 and 69.4 GJ/km for all five life-cycle stages at SE and PNW, respectively. LVL stage had the highest share at 61.4% (SE) and 54.4% (PNW) regions followed by OSB and I-joist while the contribution of forestry operations was minor. The global warming (GW) impact from gate-to-gate I-joist production at SE region, about 59%, was attributed to resin inputs and electricity consumption. The main reasons for relatively high GW impacts for LVL and I-joist production were little wood fuel was available on-site to provide thermal energy for processing and the consumption of natural gas and electricity to aid in emission control.

ACS Style

Richard D. Bergman; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. Cradle-to-Gate Life-Cycle Assessment of Composite I-Joist Production in the United States*. Forest Products Journal 2017, 67, 355 -367.

AMA Style

Richard D. Bergman, Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. Cradle-to-Gate Life-Cycle Assessment of Composite I-Joist Production in the United States*. Forest Products Journal. 2017; 67 (5-6):355-367.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Richard D. Bergman; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. 2017. "Cradle-to-Gate Life-Cycle Assessment of Composite I-Joist Production in the United States*." Forest Products Journal 67, no. 5-6: 355-367.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2017 in Forest Products Journal
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ACS Style

Elaine Oneil; Richard D. Bergman; Maureen E. Puettmann. CORRIM: Forest Products Life-Cycle Analysis Update Overview. Forest Products Journal 2017, 67, 308 -311.

AMA Style

Elaine Oneil, Richard D. Bergman, Maureen E. Puettmann. CORRIM: Forest Products Life-Cycle Analysis Update Overview. Forest Products Journal. 2017; 67 (5-6):308-311.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elaine Oneil; Richard D. Bergman; Maureen E. Puettmann. 2017. "CORRIM: Forest Products Life-Cycle Analysis Update Overview." Forest Products Journal 67, no. 5-6: 308-311.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2017 in Forest Products Journal
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Wood processing often involves an array of products and co-products and a cascade of primary and secondary uses. Prior life cycle assessment (LCA) reporting allocated environmental burdens to products and co-products based on mass for multi-product systems to develop environmental product declarations. Environmental product declarations are developed from LCAs following the procedures detailed in product category rules (PCRs). A recent PCR for North American Structural and Architectural Wood Products requires allocation by economic value when the main products exceed the value of coproducts by greater than 10 percent. Using recent LCAs of wood-based panels, this paper describes the differences in LCA results when using mass and economic allocation methods. For wood panel products that do not use wood residues from primary wood manufacturers (e.g. plywood), an increase in environmental impacts results from an economic allocation approach. For wood panel products made from wood residues (e.g. cellulosic fiberboard), there is a slight decrease in most environmental impact metrics with economic allocation. Sensitivity and variability in LCA results are discussed for the mass and economic allocation approaches.

ACS Style

Adam M. Taylor; Richard D. Bergman; Maureen E. Puettmann; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. Impacts of the Allocation Assumption in Life-Cycle Assessments of Wood-Based Panels*. Forest Products Journal 2017, 67, 390 -396.

AMA Style

Adam M. Taylor, Richard D. Bergman, Maureen E. Puettmann, Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. Impacts of the Allocation Assumption in Life-Cycle Assessments of Wood-Based Panels*. Forest Products Journal. 2017; 67 (5-6):390-396.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adam M. Taylor; Richard D. Bergman; Maureen E. Puettmann; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum. 2017. "Impacts of the Allocation Assumption in Life-Cycle Assessments of Wood-Based Panels*." Forest Products Journal 67, no. 5-6: 390-396.

Journal article
Published: 21 July 2016 in JOM
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Forest-derived biomaterials can play an integral role in a sustainable and renewable future. Research across a range of disciplines is required to develop the knowledge necessary to overcome the challenges of incorporating more renewable forest resources in materials, chemicals, and fuels. We focus on wood specifically because in our view, better characterization of wood as a raw material and as a feedstock will lead to its increased utilization. We first give an overview of wood structure and chemical composition and then highlight current topics in forest products research, including (1) industrial chemicals, biofuels, and energy from woody materials; (2) wood-based activated carbon and carbon nanostructures; (3) development of improved wood protection treatments; (4) massive timber construction; (5) wood as a bioinspiring material; and (6) atomic simulations of wood polymers. We conclude with a discussion of the sustainability of wood as a renewable forest resource.

ACS Style

Joseph E. Jakes; Xavier Arzola; Rick Bergman; Peter Ciesielski; Christopher G. Hunt; Nima Rahbar; Mandla Tshabalala; Alex C. Wiedenhoeft; Samuel L. Zelinka. Not Just Lumber—Using Wood in the Sustainable Future of Materials, Chemicals, and Fuels. JOM 2016, 68, 2395 -2404.

AMA Style

Joseph E. Jakes, Xavier Arzola, Rick Bergman, Peter Ciesielski, Christopher G. Hunt, Nima Rahbar, Mandla Tshabalala, Alex C. Wiedenhoeft, Samuel L. Zelinka. Not Just Lumber—Using Wood in the Sustainable Future of Materials, Chemicals, and Fuels. JOM. 2016; 68 (9):2395-2404.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joseph E. Jakes; Xavier Arzola; Rick Bergman; Peter Ciesielski; Christopher G. Hunt; Nima Rahbar; Mandla Tshabalala; Alex C. Wiedenhoeft; Samuel L. Zelinka. 2016. "Not Just Lumber—Using Wood in the Sustainable Future of Materials, Chemicals, and Fuels." JOM 68, no. 9: 2395-2404.