CO₂ Accounting & Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

The CO₂ impact and life cycle costs of infrastructure projects are made measurable and comparable. This creates a robust basis for choosing options, tendering and long-term investment planning.

Why are CO₂ accounting & LCA crucial in civil engineering?

In road and utility construction, significant emissions arise not only during construction but through material choice, construction method, maintenance and renewal cycles. A life cycle perspective makes the impact of different options transparent and shows where CO₂ and costs actually occur.

1. Use cases

• Option comparison (material, construction method, dimensioning)
• Rehabilitation and renewal strategies (maintenance vs. replacement)
• Tenders and verification (CO₂ criteria, ESG)
• Investment decisions and prioritisation (programme planning)
• Documentation for stakeholders and reporting

2. Services at a glance

• Definition of system boundaries, functional unit and scenarios (transparently documented)
• Quantity and data take-off from drawings, asset data and models
• CO₂ accounting per option incl. assumptions and sensitivity logic
• Life cycle assessment (LCA) across defined phases and renewal cycles
• Life cycle costing (LCC) optional, if desired or required
• Option comparison with clear indicators, charts and a recommendation
• Documentation of results as a decision document (report + tables)

3. Approach

• Kick-off & objectives (project goal, options to compare, system boundaries)
• Data basis & assumptions (existing assets, quantities, construction methods, cycles, sources)
• Accounting & LCA (CO₂ per phase, life cycle impacts, plausibility checks)
• Option comparison (indicators, sensitivity, hotspots, recommendations)
• Results & handover (report, tables, presentation/workshop)

4. Inputs

• Drawings / bill of quantities / outline concept
• Quantity estimates or model (if available)
• Material and construction method options
• Asset and condition data
• Client requirements (system boundaries, standards, reporting)

5. Results

• Comparable CO₂ indicators per option
• Transparent assumptions and data sources
• Hotspot analysis (where emissions and costs arise)
• Decision document for planning, tendering and committees
• Optional: workshop to interpret the results