Designation:E2921−16aStandardPracticeforMinimumCriteriaforComparingWholeBuildingLifeCycleAssessmentsforUsewithBuildingCodes,Standards,andRatingSystems1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationE2921;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.1.Scope1.1Thispracticeprovidescriteriatobeappliedirrespectiveoftheassessment(LCA)toolthatisusedwhenLCAisundertakenatthewholebuildingleveltocompareafinalwholebuildingdesigntoareferencebuildingdesign.1.2ThepurposeofthispracticeistosupporttheuseofwholebuildingLifeCycleAssessment(LCA)inbuildingcodes,standards,andbuildingratingsystemsbyensuringthatcomparativeassessmentsoffinalwholebuildingdesignsrela-tivetoreferencebuildingdesignstakeaccountoftherelevantbuildingfeatures,lifecyclestages,andrelatedactivitiesinsimilarfashionforboththereferenceandfinalbuildingdesignsofthesamebuilding.1.3Thecriteriadonotdealwithbuildingoccupantbehavior,possiblefuturechangesinbuildingfunction,buildingrehabilitationorretrofit,orothermattersthatcannotbeforeseenorreasonablyestimatedatthedesignorpermittingstage,orbothwherethispracticeapplies.1.4Onlyenvironmentalimpactsandaspectsofsustainabil-ityareaddressedinthispractice.Thesocialandeconomicimpactsandaspectsofsustainabilityarenotaddressedinthispractice.1.5ThispracticedoesnotdealwithbasicLCAmethodology,calculationmethodsorrelatedmattersthatarecoveredincitedinternationalstandards.1.6ThispracticedoesnotsupersedeormodifyexistingISOstandardsfortheapplicationofLCAattheproductlevel,nordoesitaddressanyofthefollowingrelatedapplications:1.6.1AggregationofbuildingproductsEnvironmentalProductDeclarations(EPD)atthewholebuildinglevel;1.6.2RulesforapplyingEPDsinabuildingcode,standard,orratingsystem;and1.6.3ComparabilityofbuildingproductEPDs.NOTE1—ISO14025andISO21930provideguidanceonuseandcomparabilityofbuild...
