Sustainability Performance of Interior Wall Types Used in Canada: A Life Cycle Thinking-based Comparison

Abstract

The wall system constitutes a large portion of the material used in building construction. Although non-structural interior walls cover more surface area within a building, published literature has mainly focused on the performance assessment of exterior walls. The aim of this research is to examine the life cycle environmental, social, and economic performance of interior wall construction methods (i.e., concrete block masonry, wood stud gypsum, and steel stud gypsum) used for Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional buildings. The findings indicated that the environmental, social, and economic performance of concrete block masonry wall is 49%, 23%, and 18% higher than the next best alternative. This research has generated important information that can be used in material specification for greener building design.