MIT Study Introduces Comprehensive Life‑Cycle Assessment for Paving and Building Materials

On December 10, MIT released preliminary findings that set a new benchmark for life‑cycle assessment (LCA) modeling. The research, part of the ongoing MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub initiative, quantifies cradle‑to‑grave environmental costs of paving and building materials and promises the most thorough LCA model yet produced.

What distinguishes MIT’s approach is its extended life‑cycle window—50 years for paving materials and 75 years for building materials—combined with a deep dive into the use phase of structures and pavements. Initial results show that more than 90 % of residential building life‑cycle carbon emissions, and up to 85 % of highway pavement emissions, occur during this period.

"The life‑cycle model we are developing will merge the best data on construction, maintenance, reconstruction, user, direct, and indirect costs with a time frame that reflects the real world life of pavements and building materials," said MIT Professor John Ochsendorf, leader of the research team.

MIT’s work on measuring life‑cycle carbon emissions is slated for completion by August 2011, followed by economic analyses later that year. Together, these studies will yield the most accurate assessment of both environmental and economic impacts for buildings and pavements to date.

The accompanying life‑cycle cost analysis (LCCA) model will provide an equally comprehensive financial perspective. Once both studies are finished, MIT will offer the scientific community, industry leaders, and policymakers a robust framework to determine the economic and environmental life‑cycle costs of key infrastructure materials throughout their real-world lifespan.

As policymakers work to account for the full spectrum of costs in public building and paving projects, this integrated costing model can serve as a roadmap for planning large‑scale initiatives.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a globally renowned leader in research, education, and higher learning. Established in 2009, MIT’s Concrete Sustainability Hub is a collaborative effort that brings together researchers from the School of Engineering, the School of Architecture and Planning, and other departments to integrate cutting‑edge science on concrete and similar materials into industry practice. For more on MIT’s work, visit MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub.