The environmental impacts of a building are present in diverse stages of its construction and use. They are related to many factors, including the use of energy, emissions and hazardous materials. This paper presents the application of life cycle analysis to study different building facades, comparing the use of painting and ceramic lining technologies. The general objective of this study is to identify and organize the Life Cycle Analysis components of building facades constructed with ceramic tiles and paint, with the purpose of comparing the environmental performance with CO2 emissions and energy consumption. The study includes definition of LCA objectives, scope, the subsystems and their boundaries, in order to compare emissions and energy consumption for the same durability criteria. The life cycle stages include raw material extraction, materials manufacturing, their use and maintenance. The flow diagrams for the processes and their related emissions are presented. Copyright © 2010 IAHS.
