Social life-cycle assessment (SLCA) of digital fabrication and bio-based material construction

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master_Khalil_Marwan_2025.pdf (2.07 MB)

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School of Engineering | Master's thesis
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Date

2025-09-29

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Additive Manufacturing for Full Flexibility

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Degree programme

Master's Programme in Manufacturing

Language

en

Pages

85

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Abstract

Although digital fabrication and bio-based materials are being used more frequently in the building sector to address sustainability issues but very little is known about how these will affect society. This thesis assesses the social effects of robotic 3D-printed hempcrete panels made by Ekotekt using the Social Life-Cycle Assessment (SLCA) paradigm, with an emphasis on labor conditions, job satisfaction, worker welfare, job safety, and skill development. 50 employees were given a structured questionnaire, and regression modeling, and descriptive statistics were used to examine the results. The results show that the highest factor of worker satisfaction and well-being is occupational safety, with robotic fabrication lowering exposure to dust, repetitive strain, and dangerous manual jobs. Because it's non-toxic and lightweight, hempcrete improves workplace health. Due to the correlation between training and upskilling possibilities, skills development emerged as another important motivator. Although labor conditions did not significantly predict job satisfaction, they were found to have a negative impact on wellbeing, indicating that workers place a higher priority on safety. By using SLCA to digital fabrication and bio-based construction, the study makes theoretical contributions; empirically, it quantifies social outcomes in a real-world scenario; and practically, it provides policymakers and construction managers with useful information. It comes to the conclusion that although robotic hempcrete production can promote social sustainability, its advantages rely on proactive steps to guarantee inclusivity, safety, and better labor practices.

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Supervisor

Salmi, Mika

Thesis advisor

Kumar Devjibhai, Abhishek

Keywords

social life cycle assessment, bio-based material, digital fabrication, hempcrete panels, worker wellbeing, job satisfaction

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202510208315

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