Life cycle assessment of disassemblable partition components in housing refurbishment: A discrete event simulation approach

Conventional housing refurbishment generates substantial construction waste and overlooks the environmental impacts of future refurbishments. Partitioning components based on the design for disassembly (DfD) principle can be reused across multiple refurbishment stages, representing a promising strategy. However, research on their cumulative environmental impacts and maintenance-related replacements in existing housing remains limited. This study proposes an LCA model integrated with the discrete event simulation (DES) to evaluate DfD partition components. The model temporally accounts for the technical and functional lifespans of materials, as well as interactions among materials across different hierarchical levels. By defining key parameters and three end of life (EOL) scenarios, this study compares the environmental impacts of the proposed DfD partitions and conventional alternatives (autoclaved aerated concrete block partitions and autoclaved aerated concrete panel partitions) in housing refurbishment. The results show that carbon emissions from the proposed DfD partitions are largely influenced by housing lifespan, while their environmental benefits depend on the relocation frequency. In comparison with conventional partitions, the proposed DfD partitions demonstrate consistent environmental advantages when relocation intervals are no more than 13 years and occur at least two times in the lifecycle. Under different EOL scenarios, DfD partitions can achieve maximum carbon reductions of 155.92 to 156.44 kgCO₂e/m2 (with seven relocations). This study introduces an improved LCA model for DfD components and provides decision making support for their application in housing refurbishment.