Life cycle assessment for the earthen heritage center (Pabillonis, Sardinia)

Raw materials and natural resources saving and recycling are a pillar of sustainability in building and construction. In particular, adobe and raw earth structures built using natural local raw materials which come straight from the same area of the construction site have a lower energy content and a better environmental performance in comparison with bricks or concrete. In this issue a case study of a restoration of an adobe historical building, the Earthen Heritage Center in Pabillonis, Sardinia, was carried out using a life cycle assessment approach. The study analyses and compares a first bearing wall, built with a traditional adobe raw material, with a common brick wall. Furthermore, the environmental impacts related with the utilization of two different mortars (raw earth and cement) have been included. The LCA analysis demonstrates the environmental benefits related with the vernacular adobe technique applied to the restoration of an historical building.