Comparative environmental life cycle assessment of materials in wooden boat ecodesign

Purpose Wooden boatyard building was replaced in the 1970s in favor of materials which are considered cheaper and simpler to work with (such as composite or aluminum). With today's new environmental standards, the choices of materials must also be compatible with the aims of ecodesign. We promote wood-based boats and the replacement of exotic woods with local varieties (from France). An environmental impact assessment is needed to clarify the relative position of each solution. Methods In order to validate the choices, we used a life cycle assessment (LCA) from cradle to grave of the hull. This LCA is based on the comparison of the following different materials used: aluminum, composite, exotic wood, and maritime pine. This study is based on the construction of an 18-m-long passenger transport boat. These evaluations were carried out with respect to ISO 14040 standards, beginning with an existing database and measurements taken on the building and production sites. Results and discussion Our results demonstrate the benefits of using a wood-based hull compared with other materials. Moreover, the results show that the maritime pine used in replacement of imported exotic woods is more favorable from both economic and environmental points of view. This LCA allowed us to characterize precisely the stages in the life cycle of a passenger boat and to propose a hierarchy of the different materials under comparison for the purposes of boat building. Conclusions The recommendations and lines of progress highlighted by this study will allow us to enhance the efficiency of upcoming constructions and to promote the ecodesign conception in the boatyard.