Life Cycle Assessment Software: Is There a Best Tool for the New Zealand Construction Sector?

Joseph Gong; Suzanne Wilkinson; Vishnupriya Vishnupriya

doi:10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_110

Conference paperChapter 110pp. 1147 to 1158

Life Cycle Assessment Software: Is There a Best Tool for the New Zealand Construction Sector?

Joseph Gong¹, Suzanne Wilkinson², Vishnupriya Vishnupriya¹

Massey University
Auckland University of Technology

Published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), edited by Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Farzad Rahimian and Mahesh Babu Purushothaman. Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, volume 591, 2025, pages 1147 to 1158. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_110.

Read the full paper on Springer Nature All SASBE 2024 papers

Abstract

This study assesses the performance of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software tools for New Zealand’s construction sector, focusing on their suitability for embodied carbon calculations. A hybrid point-based and threshold-based rating system evaluated tools across six categories. SimaPro and openLCA scored highest at 87.43% and 85.58%, respectively, while LCAQuick, eTool, and IE4B scored above 60%. However, no tool was universally superior to others, with issues like limited databases and complex interfaces identified. The findings highlight the need for improved standardisation, user-friendliness, and method flexibility, calling for collaboration between developers and users to drive innovation.

Keywords

Life Cycle AssessmentEmbodied carbonLCA software evaluationConstruction sustainabilityNew Zealand construction

Session

Presented in Track L, Saturday 9 November 2024, 11:00 to 13:00, room WG 1020, Auckland University of Technology. Session chair Assoc. Prof. Timothy Adekunle.

How to Cite

Gong, J., Wilkinson, S., & Vishnupriya, V. (2025). Life Cycle Assessment Software: Is There a Best Tool for the New Zealand Construction Sector?. In A. GhaffarianHoseini, A. GhaffarianHoseini, F. Rahimian, & M. B. Purushothaman (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 591, pp. 1147–1158). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_110

About the Conference

Presented at SASBE 2024, the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, held in Auckland from 7 to 9 November 2024 and chaired by Professors Ali and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, founders of GDI Academy. The version of record is published by Springer Nature; this page is the conference archive record kept by GDI Academy.