Case Study Examples
The following fact sheets describe the use and results of life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC) methods in collaboration with the SERDP and ESTCP, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Naval Seas Systems Command (NAVSEA), and the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD). They address the comparative analysis of mission critical Department of Defense (DoD) technologies to alternatives that could provide increased cost savings and/or reduced environmental and human health burdens.
The DoD developed a strategy to reduce hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) emissions waste streams and artisan exposure potential at DoD maintenance depots. The Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southeast is leading efforts focused to eliminate the use of Cr6+ for aluminum anodizing aircraft and partnered with OSD to conduct a sustainability analysis. The pilot project analyzed aluminum anodize line alternative (using trivalent chromium post-treatment process) over a fifteen-year span, evaluating two processes against the baseline across multiple scenarios.
The Navy is assessing electroplating alternatives to reduce cadmium use in its anti-corrosion coating operations. The Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southeast teamed with the OSD to assess Low Hydrogen Embrittlement Zinc-Nickle (Zi-Ni) electroplating line, both with and without an automated process line against the baseline cadmium electroplating line based on an annual workload over a fifteen-year span. The LCC analysis evaluated labor, utilities, materials, and waste management of each electroplating scenario.
Naval Seas Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) partnered with OSD to compare diesel engine combinations (EC) with two air emissions compliance tiers, using LCC and LCA. Six cost-effective EC options with increased Tier 4 (T4) emissions control were assessed as an alternative for baseline shipboard EC with EPA Tier 3 (T3) emissions control. T4 emissions control regulations are more stringent, reducing NOx, particulate matter, and hydro-carbons emissions over 50% compared to T3. The Navy assessed the T4 alternatives to determine if they would maximize return on investment and savings, whilst minimizing the warfighter health burden of the EC.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center funded a pilot project to evaluate Zinc-Nickel brush plating as an alternative for baseline Cadmium brush plating, across two different scenarios over a fifteen-year period. Selective brush plating (portable type of electroplating) is a process used to repair damaged plating on weapon system components. At the time, this baseline process was one of the largest usages of cadmium by the DoD. The researchers assessed LCC and waste production relative to each alternative and scenario.
Using the LCA Toolkit:
The following toolkit pages provide the various resources for PIs conducting Life Cycle Assessments:
Includes specific guidance documents on performing life cycle-related assessments for SERDP and ESTCP PIs and other subject-specific materials. PIs will also find the link to DoD life cycle-related assessment guidance.
Includes previous short courses on performing a life cycle-related assessments and other resource videos.
Provides a report template and data collection template that shows PIs how to develop a life cycle inventory and determine life cycle impacts.
Includes tools for conducting a life cycle-related assessments (such as the Defense Input-Output database) and a description of available software and datasets.
Provides examples of previous SERDP/ESTCP-funded life cycle-related assessments.
Provides website links to other federal programs and external resources related to life cycle-related assessments.
Contains answers to the most frequently asked questions about life cycle-related assessment.
