Dealing with sensitivity and uncertainty analysis in integrated building LCA model

Building design, realization, operation and refurbishment have
to take into account the environmental impacts as well as the
resulting costs over a long period of time.

LCA methods had to be developed for buildings because of their
complexity, their long life duration and through a large number
of actors who are involved. This was realized by integrating
life cycle analysis, life cycle costing and building product
models in integrated LCA models. However the use of such models
leads to difficulties. The principal ones are the uncertainty
treatment in LCA models and the lack of experience of
practitioners who are not LCA specialists.

Answers to these problems are the management of uncertainty and
the development of simplified models for building design,
construction and operation. This can be achieved with the mean
of experimental plans or Monte Carlo simulation. The paper will
focus on how these techniques can be used, what are their
possibilities and disadvantages, particularly concerning the
development of simplified models.