Evaluation of environmental impacts of cleanroom construction with a life cycle analysis approach based on energy and material consumption

Life Cycle Assessment is an essential tool for evaluating the environmental impacts of products over their entire lifecycle. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, buildings consume the most energy throughout their lifespan. Cleanrooms, crucial in industries like biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, require significant energy, impacting ecosystems, resources, and human health. This study aims to assess the impact of enhancing wall thickness and integrating a moisture barrier layer to reduce energy usage in a cleanroom facility in Tehran dedicated to medical technology and pharmaceutical activities. The research methodology involved data collection, Building Information Modeling, Carrier HAP software for energy calculations, and SimaPro software with the Ecoinvent database for environmental impact assessment. Results showed that modifying building materials and energy use can decrease contributions to the global warming index by 1 to 6%. Using 20-cm-thick walls with cement mortar increased global warming index pollution from 29 to 57.82% post-material adjustments. Increasing concrete wall thickness and adding insulation can reduce energy consumption and environmental impacts over a building's 50-year lifespan, resulting in a 4.5% reduction across all environmental indices. This research emphasizes the importance of long-term sustainability in construction projects and highlights the benefits of thicker walls in mitigating environmental impacts.