Comparative Analysis of Embodied Carbon Associated with Alternative Structural Systems

The structural system of a building is usually selected by comparing the structural performance, costs and ease of construction of different alternative systems. Other sustainability criteria including carbon footprint have been overlooked traditionally in making such a decision. This paper aims to highlight the important effect of the choice of structural system on embodied carbon of buildings. A set of 15 alternative steel and concrete structural systems including moment resisting frames, braced frames, shear walls and dual systems were designed for 3, 10 and 20 storey buildings. A process-based analysis was conducted to estimate the carbon emissions incurred in material extraction, transportation and construction phases of these 15 structural system alternatives. The results highlight the importance of considering carbon footprint on top of other conventional criteria when selecting the structural system of a building.