Carbon breakdown structure

Abstract

This article presents a breakdown structure that identifies the factors that influence in the CO2 emission to the atmosphere in the life cycle of a building. The methodology to obtain the structure of the CBS has been done with the following steps: a first revision of the existing documentation to select all the factors that influence direct or indirectly in the life cycle emissions of the project; next it has been deepened in those of which greater amount of information exists and analyzed the state-of-the-art in relation to each factor; and finally two different last levels have been defined in the breakdown structure, defining therefore the difference between Unitary Elements and Functional Units, studying both possibilities of study and analyzing the existing data for the quantification of the carbon dioxide emissions in the service life of a building. It is finished with the study of the factors that influence more in the total emissions, showing where one is due to act to obtain a more sustainable building from the carbon point of view.