What does the term "life-cycle assessment" involve in the context of materials?

The term "life-cycle assessment" refers to a systematic approach that evaluates the environmental impacts of a material throughout its entire life span, from extraction of raw materials, through production and usage, to eventual disposal or recycling. This comprehensive analysis provides insights into how a material affects the environment at each stage of its life cycle.

By addressing factors such as resource consumption, energy usage, emissions, and waste generation, life-cycle assessments help in identifying opportunities for improvement and making informed decisions regarding material selection in sustainable building practices. This holistic view is critical for promoting sustainability in the built environment, where the choice of materials can have significant long-term impacts on ecological health.

In contrast, evaluating cost implications focuses solely on economic factors without considering environmental repercussions. Assessing structural performance pertains to how well materials meet engineering needs, and measuring aesthetic value targets the visual appeal of materials, neither of which takes the environmental impacts throughout the life cycle into account.