Lifespan assessment of dwellings

What is the average lifespan of dwellings?<br/>Though of decisive importance for the provision, maintenance and management of housing stocks, and despite a choice of research papers about the subject, the last word about this question is far from said.<br/>At first a distinction should be made between the technical lifespan and the functional...

Demolition in Europe: Volume, motives and research approach

What determines the life span of dwellings? Much is known about the initial phase of buildings. The vast majority of scientific knowledge is concentrated on the building initiative, the programming, design and in particular the construction. Knowledge about the utilization phase, including management, transformation and redesign is growing. But...

Effects of the life span of products in LCA - A case study for dwellings

Replacement or reuse? The choice between demolition and life cycle extension from a sustainable viewpoint

What is better: renovation or new construction? Following the plenary debate on the ENHR 2007 conference in Rotterdam we continued our search for the answer to this question. The choice between reuse and replacement of existing buildings is a vital but very difficult one, involving a wide range of aspects and affecting contradictory and often...