Life-cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to assess product development processes “from cradle to grave” for many years. With the current push toward sustainable construction, LCA has gained importance as an objective method to evaluate the environmental impact of construction practices. A substantial amount of construction-related LCA work has been published recently; however, most of this work has been fragmented and a systematic compilation of this literature has not been undertaken. This article presents a structured review of building construction-related LCA literature, classified under four categories: LCA applications for construction products selection; LCA applications for construction systems/process evaluation; LCA tools and databases related to the construction industry; and LCA methodological developments related to the construction industry. Current challenges for using LCA in construction are discussed and potential areas for future research are highlighted. This review and similar efforts...

In the wake of sustainable construction entering the mainstream, many developing countries are either currently pursuing green building guidelines or are planning to pursue them in the near future. This research attempts to formulate an implementation strategy for the rapid adoption of these guidelines for the developing nations. This implementation strategy is based on the detailed review of the major green building guidelines globally and contextual information of Indian society collected through a survey questionnaire. The proposed strategy shows that it is important for green building initiatives to identify: the organizations that accelerate the adoption of green building guidelines in a society, the incentives and barriers associated with the green building guidelines, and the necessary motivations for the adopter organizations. An informed approach in the form of this implementation strategy might potentially contribute to the acceleration of green building guidelines' adoption in developing countries.

Indoor air quality is a significant factor influencing occupant comfort, health and productivity. Indoor air comfort and its relationship to occupant comfort and productivity are widely documented. Statistical correlation between the two has been highlighted in scientific literature. This paper investigates any unique correlations between non-air quality parameters (such as lux level, temperature, and noise level) and indoor air comfort and presents a study investigating the effect of indoor environmental quality on occupant air comfort and productivity. This study was conducted by collecting data on indoor environmental parameters using remote sensors and an online survey for occupant responses for twelve months. Data analysis was performed using Response Surface Analysis to present mathematical relationships between indoor environmental quality parameters and occupant air comfort. Results show that carbon dioxide up to 600 ppm, VOC up to 25% (by volume) and humidity up to 60% have a positive impact on occupant air comfort and productivity. Our research highlighted that some non-air quality parameters, such as outdoor temperature and lux levels, affect occupant air comfort. These results would enable built environment professionals to design and operate offices (subtropical desert climate) conducive to occupant comfort and productivity.

Costs and benefits resulting from improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings are often hypothesized; however, the precise quantification of such costs and benefits remains a challenge. This research examined the incremental hard and soft costs of realizing IEQ improvements in LEED office buildings and related benefits to occupant well-being and productivity using a case study approach. Self-reported well-being and productivity data were collected by surveying employees occupying conventional offices compared to similar data upon their move to LEED offices. These pre- and postmove findings were analyzed using the life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) framework to calculate the potential economic gains of IEQ improvements to the organizations. The results indicate economically viable investments in LEED-IEQ credits and offers directions for future research. These preliminary findings may assist building owners/investors/policymakers in m...