Hello everyone,

as part of my master thesis, I have to carry out a life-cycle assessment with the ecoinvent database (version 3.6) and i use the software tool openLCA 1.10.2 . This is about demolition, transport and sorting processes of reinforced concrete. I have already understood that one connects processes in which the output (quantitative reference) of process 1 must correspond to the input of the subsequent process 2.

 

An example (green = quantitative reference with [unit] of the existing process):

  • Process 1: excavation, hydraulic digger (ecoinvent: demolition process with excavator): Input: diesel, oil, digger.., Output: waste mineral oil,..., excavation, hydraulic digger [m3]
  • Process 2: transport, freight, lorry >32 metric ton (ecoinvent: transport from concrete demolition to sorting plant): Input: diesel, road.., Output: road wear emission,.., transport freight, lorry >32 metric ton [t*km]
  • Process 3: machine operation, diesel, >= 74.57 kW, steady-state (ecoinvent: processing/sorting of log material): Input: diesel, oil, Building machine.., Output: waste mineral oil, ..., machine operation diesel [h]

I want to link these 3 processes. The material of the demolition (crushed concrete) does not change from process 1, to process 2 to process 3. 

Can I now do the following:

 Creation of new product flows (for linking the processes):

  1. reinforced waste concrete = New quantitative reference1  = Input in following process
  2. recycled aggregate = New quantitative reference2

And then:

  • Process 1: excavation, hydraulic digger (ecoinvent: demolition process with excavator): Input: diesel, oil, digger.., Output: waste mineral oil,..., excavation, hydraulic digger, waste reinforced concrete [m3]
  • Process 2: transport, freight, lorry >32 metric ton (ecoinvent: transport from concrete demolition to sorting plant): Input: waste reinforced concrete, diesel, road.., Output: road wear emission,.., transport freight, lorry >32 metric ton,  waste reinforced concrete [t*km]
  • Process 3: machine operation, diesel, >= 74.57 kW, steady-state (ecoinvent: processing/sorting of log material): Input: waste reinforced concrete, diesel, oil, building machine.., output: waste mineral oil, ..., machine operation diesel,  recycled aggregate [m3]

 

1) Can i link these processes in this way (set my new product flows as quantitative reference)?

2) If this way is correct, do I need to delete the "old" quantitative reference or leave it as an output of the process?

3) If the second point of question 2  is also correct, does my new product  flow  (output  as  my  "new" quantitative  reference) must have the same  amount  and  the same unit like my "old" quantitative reference?

 

I know that the questions are very extensive - but the subject is also very complicated.

Thanks in advance for any response.

King regards,

Max