The construction sector has a significant impact on the environment due to high material consumption and energy use. For this reason, there is increasing interest in alternative construction systems with lower environmental impacts. Earthen construction systems, such as adobe and rammed earth, represent traditional building techniques that can be reconsidered within modern sustainable construction.
This master’s thesis evaluates earthen structures from the perspective of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and compares them with a commonly used traditional construction system. The main aim of the study is to describe different types of earthen structures and to assess their environmental performance in comparison with conventional buildings. The analysis is carried out at the building level to reflect realistic construction conditions.
Three residential building variants are analysed: an adobe building, a rammed earth building, and a traditional masonry building. All buildings are based on the same architectural layout, floor area, and service life. To ensure a fair comparison, the thermal performance of the building envelopes is adjusted to achieve similar U-values. As a result, differences in operational energy demand are minimized, and the comparison focuses mainly on material-related environmental impacts.
The LCA calculations are performed using GaBi software and datasets compliant with EN 15804+A2. The assessment includes the main life-cycle stages: material production (A1–A3), construction and installation (A4–A5), operation and maintenance (B stage), and end-of-life processes (C1–C3). Environmental impacts are evaluated using selected impact categories such as Global Warming Potential, fossil resource use, and water use.
The results show that earthen construction systems generally have lower environmental impacts than the traditional construction system, especially in the material production stage. This is mainly due to the low level of material processing and the absence of energy-intensive manufacturing processes. When thermal performance is comparable, operational energy use does not significantly differ between the analysed variants. The end-of-life phase also shows advantages for earthen buildings due to better recyclability and lower waste treatment impacts.
The study confirms that earthen construction systems can offer environmental benefits in residential buildings when designed according to modern performance requirements. The results highlight the importance of material choice and demonstrate that earthen structures can be a viable and sustainable alternative to conventional construction systems.