Green Construction Project Life Cycle Management

Life cycle management (LCM) is an integrated system approach for managing the total life cycle of goods and services toward sustainable production and consumption. It helps decision-makers to make informed decisions by examining activities associated with the entire project life cycle. LCM is of particular interest in green construction in which an optimum use of resources and circularity are often emphasized for minimal environmental impacts. This chapter reveals how LCM contributes to green construction by offering a more systematic and holistic view in examining the costs and benefits of green construction projects through-out their entire life cycle. Various life cycle stages of green construction projects are reviewed to understand the impacts of different inputs and outputs for consideration along the life cycle stages, hence pinpointing potential hotspots for improving the value chain. Tools and methodologies of LCM, such as life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and social life cycle assessment (SLCA), are also discussed to demonstrate the potential of leveraging LCM tools in offering more credible and robust results for managing green construction projects. LCM helps facilitate more innovative and critical thinking for the development of green construction projects, thereby promoting the delivery of sustainable development goals within the built environment.