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Life cycle-based sustainability assessment of different partition board materials
Dhin, Lara Omar
Dhin, Lara Omar
Files
35.232-2025.44a Lara Omar Dhin_COMPRESSED.pdf
Adobe PDF, 3.13 MB
- Embargoed until 2027-01-14
Description
A Master of Science thesis in Construction Management by Lara Omar Dhin entitled, “Life cycle-based sustainability assessment of different partition board materials”, submitted in November 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Maruf Mortula. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).
Abstract
The construction industry accounts for large amount of waste, causing significant implications on the sustainable development. The waste materials in the industry originate from many different building materials. The waste materials can originate mostly during construction or demolition of the built infrastructure. Partition board is one such material. Due to the significant environmental impact, it is important to examine sustainable construction and demolition waste management. This study examines the lifecycle impacts of traditional and alternative partition board materials used in construction. To achieve the objective, the study investigates three different aspects of sustainability: environmental, economic and social. Environmental impacts were measured using SimaPro in a Life Cycle Assessment, evaluating gypsum boards alongside sustainable substitutes such as plywood, cork, and straw-clay panels; long term economic performance was assessed using market and RSMeans data in a Life Cycle Cost Analysis; and stakeholder and user perceptions were analyzed using surveys and AHP-based weighting in a Social Life Cycle Assessment. The results showed that straw-clay offered the best overall sustainability by combining the greatest social acceptance with the least detrimental environmental effects. Plywood also did well because, while cork yielded somewhat balanced results. Despite being cost-effective, gypsum board had the worst social performance and the greatest environmental impact. When all pillars were considered, bio-based materials such as straw-clay proved to be the most sustainable overall, demonstrating the framework's usefulness in guiding low carbon, socially conscious material selection for the construction industry. The results of this study aim to influence material selection in the construction industry, recommending a shift towards more sustainable practices that align with global sustainability goals.