Life cycle assessment of innovative eco-construction system : interlocking modular insulation panels (IMIP)

Abstract

The IMIP project is about taking action to achieve the triple bottom line: economic, environmental, and social, both in the life cycle of the materials and processes and in the service life of the building systems developed in the project. Four panels have been designed to implement a new industrialised and green building system using biobased materials to improve energy efficiency, assembly, disassembly, reuse and reducing demolition costs and waste materials. The objective of this paper is to assess the environmental impact of the panels and to compare them to conventional constructive systems. According to the analysis, the panels have great potential in terms of energy efficiency, circularity, cost, and environmental impact. As they are made from natural bio-based materials and their design is based on assembly and disassembly, the panels sequester CO2 and show excellent sustainability, circularity, and reusability results. The disassembly and recycling capacity of IMIP products are critical to the results of the manufacturing stage, as they can be considered a substitute in further production. This assessment identifies the main strengths of the proposed panels in terms of sustainability compared to usual market competitors.