Social Life-Cycle Assessment in the Construction Industry: A Review of Characteristics, Limitations, and Challenges of S-LCA through Case Studies

Abstract

The paper aims to examine how researchers have operationalized social impact assessment in construction projects over the last ten years. A systematic review was used to investigate case studies in the Social Life-Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) to analyze the application of the methodology. In total, 19 articles published between 2012 and 2023 were classified according to their scope, functional unit measure, S-LCA indicators used, and the main challenges. Our findings revealed limitations in both qualitative and quantitative aspects of measuring social indicators, primarily stemming from difficulties associated with scoring and assessment methodologies. Additionally, we observed deficiencies in social data within the S-LCA framework. This suggests that potential social impacts may be inadequately addressed and evaluated due to various challenges that have been highlighted in the existing literature.