MIT Research to Set Life-Cycle Assessment Standard

Words: Dan Kamys

MIT Research to Set Life-Cycle Assessment Standard

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has released preliminary research findings that will help set a new standard in life-cycle assessment (LCA) modeling.??The studies, which are part of an ongoing research initiative at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, will quantify the cradle-to-grave environmental costs of paving and building materials, and will ultimately result in the most comprehensive LCA model produced to-date.

According to MIT professor and research team leader John Ochsendorf, the expanded life-cycle window – 50 years for paving materials and 75 years for building materials – combined with the level of detailed analysis conducted on the use phase of structures and pavements will distinguish MIT’s latest research. Initial reports have shown the importance of including the use phase, with MIT researchers finding that more than 90 percent of residential building life-cycle carbon emissions and up to 85 percent of highway pavement emissions occur during this period.

MIT’s ongoing work on measuring the life-cycle carbon emissions of these materials is scheduled to be completed by August 2011.??The environmental findings will then be supplemented by economic analyses in 2011 to provide the most accurate assessment of the economic and environmental impacts for buildings and pavements yet produced.
Stop Juggling: The Best Way to Master Your Masonry Job Sites
January 2026

You’re in the business of building structures that will stand for generations. Yet, too often, the process of managing the job site feels built on quicksand. Every construction project manager knows the feeling: the constant, fra

Erin Koets
Technical Talks
Read More
Brick Jointers: Purpose, Patterns, & Practical Applications
January 2026

After leads have been built and bricks have been laid, it’s crucial to tool the joints before the mortar sets. The tool of choice for this task is a brick jointer, but it can be tricky to decide which one to use. This guide will walk through the purpose o

Mackenzie Claassen
Technical Talks
Read More
Laying It Straight: Line-Holding Accessories for Masons Who Demand Precision
January 2026

When it comes to laying brick, block, or stone, nothing replaces a good line. A tight, true mason’s line is the backbone of straight courses and clean elevations, and the hardware holding that line is every bit as critical. Bon Tool’s lineup of Line & Lin

Paul Bender
Technical Talks
Read More
The Importance of Eye Protection in Masonry
January 2026

There are few stereotypes more iconic than the image of a construction worker wearing a hard hat and safety glasses. Protective glasses are among the most common items worn by workers in the masonry field, second only to the hard hat. According to OSHA, w

Justus Everett
Safety Library
Read More