Extensible carbon emission factor database: empirical study for the Chinese construction industry

Kun Lu; Xueyuan Deng; Yubing Zhang; Xiaoyan Jiang; Baoquan Cheng; Vivian W Y Tam

doi:10.1007/s11356-023-29092-6

Extensible carbon emission factor database: empirical study for the Chinese construction industry

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Aug 10. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-29092-6. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Kun Lu¹, Xueyuan Deng^{2

3}, Yubing Zhang⁴, Xiaoyan Jiang⁴, Baoquan Cheng^{5

6}, Vivian W Y Tam⁷

Affiliations

¹ School of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
² School of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. dengxy@sjtu.edu.cn.
³ Shanghai Key Laboratory for Digital Maintenance of Buildings and Infrastructure, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. dengxy@sjtu.edu.cn.
⁴ School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China.
⁵ School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China.
⁶ Anhui BIM Engineering Center, School of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei, 230601, China.
⁷ School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.

PMID: 37558914
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29092-6

Abstract

A carbon emission factor (CEF) database is required for the basis of carbon emission calculation in construction projects. However, the default values for existing CEF databases cannot cover the complex resources involved in a construction project. Therefore, this paper proposes a three-step method to guide the establishment of an extensible CEF database for the construction industry, including (1) data collection and parser, (2) data extension, and (3) data encoding and storage. The data extension mechanisms provide the supply chain perspective considering temporal issues and the accounting perspective to streamline the process. Aiming to address the lack of a comprehensive CEF database for the construction industry in China, this paper uses this method to establish a carbon emission factor database for the Chinese construction industry (CEFD for CCI). This database is open and free with 646 CEFs, including five parts: energy, human, material, machinery, and greenspace. This paper provides a way for developing and less developed countries to establish an expandable CEF database, which benefits the parser, extension, encoding, and storage of new resources, as well as computer access.

Keywords: Carbon emission factor; China; Construction and building industry; Extendable process; Life cycle assessment.