Abstract
Many activities associated with the construction and habitation of buildings are connected with issues affecting the environment such as global warming, climate change, and consumption of valuable natural resources such as fossil fuels. To minimize negative impacts on the environment, the building industry worldwide has implemented green building practices in many countries. One of the main green strategies is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by residential structures because they are most substantially connected with global warming and climate change. To determine the actual quantity of green house gas emissions caused by the construction and use of a building, it is important to analyze total greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle of buildings including construction, operation & maintenance(O&M) and demolition stages. Many studies suggest methods to calculate greenhouse gas emissions at the construction stage, but the literature addressing greenhouse gas emissions at the O & M stage is limited. A year-long study was conducted utilizing the deterioration method to calculate greenhouse gas emissions at the O & M stage of building life for condominium types of buildings in South Korea. Through this research, it is possible to analyze greenhouse gas emissions of buildings at the O & M stage, the longest span of the life cycle, and eventually help to calculate total greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle of the building.
