Life-cycle assessment of bio-based materials

Context and challenges

The construction sector has a major impact on environmental degradation and climate change. Bio-based materials are increasingly encouraged as alternatives to conventional materials in order to reduce these impacts. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is increasingly used to evaluate these materials at every stage of their life cycle, in order to support informed decisions and more climate-friendly construction practices.

However, despite methodological advances in LCA — whether attributional, consequential or dynamic approaches — several challenges persist: limited data availability, inconsistencies in functional units, system boundaries or carbon-accounting methods. These methodological variations prevent direct comparisons between studies and materials, often leading to divergent conclusions. It is therefore essential to develop more standardised, transparent and comprehensive LCA applications in order to effectively assess bio-based materials.

Objectives and methods

The main objective of this thesis is to improve LCA methodologies in order to better represent the specific properties of bio-based construction materials, in particular by taking into account carbon dynamics, land use and agricultural practices. The research will begin with a state of the art in order to identify the most relevant bio-based materials, then continue with a “cradle-to-grave” analysis incorporating dynamic modelling. Data from the literature, the ecoinvent database and real projects will feed the inventory modelling, as well as the comparison with conventional materials. The study will also assess the impact of these materials on different structural typologies and propose eco-optimised design strategies. Finally, scenario analyses will make it possible to study several end-of-life options and regional variations, with the aim of developing practical recommendations for integrating bio-based materials into sustainable construction frameworks.