FIBE3 CDT hosted its third CM3 workshop, focusing on the CDT theme: Radical Circularity and the Whole Life Approach. The session was led by Dr. Noemi Arena (Mott MacDonald) and Dr. Sripriya Rengaraju (University of Cambridge), who shared valuable insights on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in infrastructure projects, emphasising sustainable engineering and carbon management.
Dr. Rengaraju introduced LCA and discussed carbon emissions in the building sector, outlining the key steps in conducting an LCA: goal definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation. She also addressed the limitations of LCA, different emission scopes, and various impact assessment methods.
Dr. Arena explored the integration of carbon considerations into decision-making and presented methodologies for assessing environmental impact across the life cycle of infrastructure assets. She also covered emission calculations, data collection strategies, and the role of digital tools in optimising sustainability.
The workshop concluded with a hands-on exercise, where students need to apply LCA principles to a practical case study, reinforcing their understanding through real-world application.