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What is the carbon dioxide assessment for a 42,000-m² logistics platform?
Apr 24, 2007

Given the context of global warming and the implementation of solutions for reduced greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, GSE has been working for over a year on a joint project with the “ADEME” (French Environmental and Energy Control Agency - Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie), focusing on a method to calculate the carbon scorecard – expressed in CO2 tons-equivalent released into the atmosphere – throughout the various phases of a logistics platform: construction, use, demolition. For GSE, the objective of this research is to propose an ecological building with a low carbon-producing profile.

The figures provided here are the results obtained for a 42,000-m² building located in the Lyon area of France, with a assumed lifetime of 30 years.

Carbon dioxide releases during construction, per phase:  
 

CO2 released during the life of the building
for surface area heated to + 5 °C
in CO2 equivalent tons

  • Construction = 13 136 t
  • Use = 13 681 t
  • End of life = 488 t

CO2 released during building life,
for surface area heated to + 16 °C
in CO2 equivalent tons

  • Construction = 13 136 t
  • Use = 42 864 t
  • End of life = 488 t

 

CO2 discharge

  • During construction of a low-insulation logistics building:
    approximately 300 Kg-equivalent CO2 per m²
    (this is equal to the amount of CO2 released by a truck driving 200 km).
  • Throughout the lifetime of the building, heated to 5°C:
    approximately 700 Kg-equivalent CO2 per m²
    (equal to the amount of CO2 released by a truck driving 460 km).
  • Throughout the entire life of the same building, but well-insulated (RT 2005) :
    approximately 630 Kg-equivalent CO2 per m² (a 10% improvement).

 

  

 

A solution to reduce this carbon dioxide level:

The choice of an Optima type ecological building . Example: combined wood-concrete frame, plant fiber insulation, "Eco-Light" lighting, wood furnace… This significantly decreases C02 discharges, as seen in this graph.

Key: Blue: traditional building. Green: impact of the Optima building ecological options, increased CO2 eq.ton release expressed in percentage of the overall total.

 For more information on the Optima designed by GSE concept, please visit the website www.gsegroup.com