Life cycle environmental and cost assessment of prefabricated components manufacture

Prefabrication is regarded as a pivot for realizing sustainable building construction. Nevertheless, the sustainable manufacture level of prefabricated components remains unclear. To fill this gap, this study analyzed the envi-ronmental impact and optimization potential of prefabricated components via a life cycle assessment (LCA) method. Additionally, social and economic cost were assessed through LCA-based life cycle costing method to reveal the sustainability of prefabricated components. Results indicated that prefabrication rates of 50% and 30% could reduce the potential global warming impact by 31.78% and 13.94%, respectively, compared with the conventional construction method. However, prefabricated components production in China generated up to $ 4.35 x 109 social cost, with critical optimization areas focused on the provinces of Shandong and Hubei. By using artificial neural network estimation, 30% replacement of concrete by demolished concrete lumps could reduce potential fossil depletion and social cost by 10%, decreasing 5.08 x 109 kg CO2 eq potential global warming for China. Meanwhile, partial replacement of fuels with refuse-derived fuels and improved steel scrap utilization could contribute to further improving environmental performance.