Tool for the environmental assessment of cranes based on parameterization

Background and Aim: The primary barrier to implementing LCA in the industry is the vast amount of information required, which is often unavailable or too complex to manage during the early design phases. Knuckle-boom cranes, being highly complex products, particularly require simplified assessment methods to guide designers toward more sustainable choices.

Methodology: The authors developed a parametric LCA model specifically for knuckle-boom cranes. The research involved analyzing the interdependencies between design parameters and environmental inventories, identifying 13 “primary parameters” (design inputs) that directly influence the LCA results, and creating indicators to benchmark environmental performance and weight efficiency.

Results: The resulting tool allows designers to input primary parameters to visualize and benchmark environmental impacts in real-time. The model was validated against six additional cranes of varying sizes, showing a high degree of accuracy with a maximum divergence of only 4% from full LCA results.

Conclusions: The study demonstrates that a parametric approach enables a rigorous estimation of a product’s environmental profile at an early stage, where design changes are most cost-effective.

Authors: Hesamedin Ostad-Ahmad-Ghorabi and Daniel Collado-Ruiz Journal: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Year: 2011