Análisis del ciclo de vida
Life Cycle Assessment
Understanding the life cycle of a product or service (ISO 14040:2006 - principles and framework, ISO 14044:2006 - requirements and guidelines) as the consecutive and interrelated stages of a product or service system (i.e., everything involved in providing the function of the good or service, from raw material extraction to final disposal), the life cycle assessment (LCA) of the product or service is the “compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of a product or service system throughout its life cycle.”
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
According to ISO 14025:2010 (Environmental labels and declarations – Type III environmental declarations – Principles and procedures), EPD is a standardized and verified report on the environmental impact of a product, based on the LCA technique. It requires third-party verification and complete transparency (public data) and uses Product Category Rules (PCRs) to ensure comparability among similar products.
Basic Product Category Rules for Construction Products
UNE-EN 15804:2012+A1:2014 Sustainability in construction. Environmental product declarations.
It aims to establish the basic PCRs for type III environmental declarations for any construction product or service.
LCA of the A2-A3 Pier
Based on this regulatory framework, the Port Authority of A Coruña commissioned the Life Cycle Assessment study for the expansion project of the Langosteira A2-A3 pier and the draft improvement at the New Port Facilities of Punta Langosteira, which served as basis for the EPD.
The scope of the LCA conducted is “cradle to gate with options,” meaning the product stage and construction process stage were studied, but the use and end-of-life phases were not included.
The main results were:
| Parameter | Unit | Product Stage A1-A3 | Construction Stage A4-A5 | |
| Global Warming Potential (GWP) | kg CO2eq | 14.823.568,64 | 66.763,56 | 6.327.345,27 |
| Acidification Potential (soil and water) | kg CO2eq | 1,16 | 1,24E-02 | 1,25 |
| Eutrophication Potential (EP) | kg CO2eq | 48.870,05 | 491,11 | 22.811,80 |
| Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP) | kg COkg ethylene eq | 9.257,93 | 60,59 | 4.241,44 |
| Abiotic Resource Depletion Potential – Elements | kg Sb eq | 2.139,47 | 6,79 | 1.036,38 |
| Abiotic Resource Depletion Potential – Fossil Fuels | MJ | 30,21 | 3,31E-04 | 1,96E-01 |
| Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) | kg CFC 11 eq | 100.362.679,06 | 958.718,18 | 99.638.980,16 |