Considered to be a bold step towards achieving a more environment and social-friendly industry, built environment lifecycle operation is attracting more and more companies. Such companies operate while giving importance on taking good care of the environment. This is carried out by establishing ways to become more sustainable industry.
Before these entities can operate according to the principle of lifecycle operation, they need to examine things in a holistic view and this is established by using a system called "life cycle analysis," which is also known as "life cycle assessment" or LCA. This approach tends to determine the full range of impact associated with the whole operation - from project development until a facility cease its operation.
Life cycle assessment (LCA)
Below is the step-by-step process that can be used by any industrial project/facility as part of what we call life cycle assessment:
Identify the need -- before a facility is constructed, the project developer identifies the needs and whether these needs are in line with the goal of minimizing (if not avoided totally) the negative impact to the environment and society throughout the entire duration of the operation.
Research -- the identification of these needs is done through research where several issues have to be addressed such as the environment and social impact.
Plan & Design -- this is the next phase (after research); a particular project and all its components is carefully planned according to the research findings. Again, the environmental and social impact are being considered in this stage of life cycle assessment process.
Construct -- the approved plan & design is materialized in the construction stage; a facility that is environment-friendly is built.
Operate & Maintain -- when the construction is done successfully, operation and maintenance works follow. In this stage, the facility management team sees to it that all the things/elements are working well in accordance to the established plan. This means, the operation and maintenance tasks should abide by the principles of built environment life cycle operations.
Decommission / Re-purpose -- this is the final stretch of a facility's intended duration of its operation wherein the management team decides for the future of the said facility. Should the operation of the facility be halted completely (i.e. decommission) or use the facility for other purpose? Either way, the management will need to identify the reason on why should it be decommissioned or used for other purpose.
Green building - a result of built environment life cycle operations principle
As we look at the building and facility industry today, we can notice that many companies are 'going green' - this is a clear indication that they are now aware and are giving importance to life cycle operation principles, which is also common in facility management companies. Growing number of companies now value environment-friendly practices -- green buildings are becoming more popular (e.g. energy-efficient, solar panel usage, day lightings, etc.) and gaining positive results.
Before these entities can operate according to the principle of lifecycle operation, they need to examine things in a holistic view and this is established by using a system called "life cycle analysis," which is also known as "life cycle assessment" or LCA. This approach tends to determine the full range of impact associated with the whole operation - from project development until a facility cease its operation.
Life cycle assessment (LCA)
Below is the step-by-step process that can be used by any industrial project/facility as part of what we call life cycle assessment:
Identify the need -- before a facility is constructed, the project developer identifies the needs and whether these needs are in line with the goal of minimizing (if not avoided totally) the negative impact to the environment and society throughout the entire duration of the operation.
Research -- the identification of these needs is done through research where several issues have to be addressed such as the environment and social impact.
Plan & Design -- this is the next phase (after research); a particular project and all its components is carefully planned according to the research findings. Again, the environmental and social impact are being considered in this stage of life cycle assessment process.
Construct -- the approved plan & design is materialized in the construction stage; a facility that is environment-friendly is built.
Operate & Maintain -- when the construction is done successfully, operation and maintenance works follow. In this stage, the facility management team sees to it that all the things/elements are working well in accordance to the established plan. This means, the operation and maintenance tasks should abide by the principles of built environment life cycle operations.
Decommission / Re-purpose -- this is the final stretch of a facility's intended duration of its operation wherein the management team decides for the future of the said facility. Should the operation of the facility be halted completely (i.e. decommission) or use the facility for other purpose? Either way, the management will need to identify the reason on why should it be decommissioned or used for other purpose.
Green building - a result of built environment life cycle operations principle
As we look at the building and facility industry today, we can notice that many companies are 'going green' - this is a clear indication that they are now aware and are giving importance to life cycle operation principles, which is also common in facility management companies. Growing number of companies now value environment-friendly practices -- green buildings are becoming more popular (e.g. energy-efficient, solar panel usage, day lightings, etc.) and gaining positive results.
About the Author:
Dennis Felton uses his years of experience working in the construction industry in writing industry-related topics, including life cycle operation, built environment management. He also manages a personal blog which reflects his current works.