Life Cycle Assessment of Vernacular Construction Techniques: Comparative Analysis of Tilestone Roofing vs. Conventional Systems

Traditional tilestone roofing, commonly used in UNESCO-listed French regions such as the Causses and Ce vennes, may provide notable sustainability benefits, yet comparative studies on roofing remain scarce. Previous research has highlighted the advantages of traditional construction, especially in wall systems: As reported by [1], up to a 91% reduction in embodied emissions with natural wall systems versus conventional walls, while In studies [2] and [3] respectively found that earth walls in Iran and earthbag walls significantly reduce environmental impacts relative to concrete blocks, primarily due to reduced transportation needs and clinker production. Thus, the use of vernacular construction techniques that rely on local resources presents significant advantages by reducing the environmental impact of building practices. This study seeks to address the research gap in the environmental assessment of vernacular construction techniques. Specifically, the use of Cayrol schist tilestone as a roofing material for the Intercommunal Medical Center project in Saint-Co me-d’Olt will be modeled using LCA and compared with three alternative materials: limestone tilestone, which is another traditional alternative but requires more material due to the roofing technique that demands a large overlap with thicker, larger tiles; CUPA slate, the market leader in France; and TERREAL ceramic tiles from the Castelnaudary production site, which supplies tiles used in the restoration of historic monuments.