CRC for Greenhouse Accounting

Research Programs

Project A.3 Life Cycle Analysis

Project Leader: Mr David Gardner, SF NSW

Research Objectives

To establish the storage of carbon in forest products from the harvesting of the trees, through-the production and use of the forest products, their time in service and then their disposal to landfill. The project will also study the greenhouse gas implications of substituting forest products for alternative materials in a range of building designs.

Strategy

The objectives are to be achieved via five sub-projects:

A3.1 will study the use and service life of forest products.
A3.2 will study the carbon content and density of forest products.
A3.3 will study the fate of forest products after disposal to landfill.
A3.4 will study the effect on greenhouse gas emissions due to substitution of forest products for alternative materials in a range of building types.
A3.5 will develop greenhouse gas life cycle inventories for the harvesting of trees and their conversion to a range of forest products.

Relevance

It is likely that these issues will become increasingly important as the treatment of wood products in the Kyoto negotiations is debated over the next few years. This project will be accelerated so that substantial inputs could be made to the international debate over the next two to three years.

Outputs

A whole of life data-set on the storage of carbon from trees that are harvested for conversion to forest products.
Comparative data on the greenhouse gas implications that arise when forest products are substituted for alternative materials in a range of building designs.

Outcomes

A stronger basis for selecting options for the inventorying of wood products in the international negotiation process.

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Sub-project A3.1 – Production and service life of forest products.

This sub-project will develop inventories on the production of round, sawn and panel forest products manufactured in Australia, their use, service life and subsequent reuse, recycling or disposal.

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Sub-project A3.2 – Carbon content and density of forest products

This sub-project is proposed to develop carbon content and density data on a range of forest products to increase the accuracy of predictions of carbon stored in the forest products contained in the inventories developed in sub-project A3.1.

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Sub-project A3.3 – Fate of stored carbon in forest products in landfill

This sub-project takes over where sub-project A3.1 ends, i.e. when the forest products have performed their function and are disposed to landfill. Data for this sub-project will be developed from forest products that are obtained by excavating landfill sites of varying types and ages. The forest products will be identified and their carbon content determined.

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Sub-project A3.4: GHG implications of substituting forest products for alternative materials across a range of building designs

This sub-project will assess the effect on greenhouse gas emissions due to substituting forest products for alternative materials in a range of building designs. Life Cycle Inventories (LCI) will be produced on the manufacture, use, maintenance and disposal of a range of building designs using forest products and alternative materials. The LCI’s will be used as input to an appropriate Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) model to determine the effect on greenhouse gas emissions due to the substitution of forest products for alternative materials

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Sub-Project A3.5: Carbon Budget of Harvesting Trees & Conversion to Forest Products

This sub-project will develop carbon inventories on the harvesting and conversion of trees to a range of forest products. The research will involve accounting for the above ground biomass in harvested trees and the fate of that biomass as it is processed to forest products. Carbon inputs will be calculated for harvesting and processing operations and transport

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