Buildings of 2050: Carbon benefits of material substitution in building structures from a life-cycle perspective
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bath
Department Name: Mechanical Engineering
Abstract
The context of the research:
The construction industry has a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions as they account for 39% of global energy and process-related carbon dioxide emissions, with 11% resulting from the manufacture of building materials. As the operation of buildings is getting increasingly energy efficient, reducing the embodied emissions of materials is becoming inevitable when seeking to decarbonize our built environment. In this context, designers are encouraged to carry-out life-cycle assessments (LCA) to reduce the embodied carbon of their buildings. As the current industry overuses concrete and steel, the rule of thumb of the small scale is to move-away from this practice and choose bio-based materials associated with lower emissions. However, if everyone was to draw this conclusion, the marginal embodied carbon of bio-based materials might become so high that it defeats its original purpose.
Its aims and objectives:
In this context, the aim of this research is to carry out a system-level analysis of carbon stocks and flows of materials in the UK and to link them down to building-level design decisions. This will answer the following questions: How can we guide individual building-level design choices towards desirable system-wide outcomes? When there is significant uncertainty in potential impacts, what are the most important external factors to control to minimize these impacts?
The construction industry has a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions as they account for 39% of global energy and process-related carbon dioxide emissions, with 11% resulting from the manufacture of building materials. As the operation of buildings is getting increasingly energy efficient, reducing the embodied emissions of materials is becoming inevitable when seeking to decarbonize our built environment. In this context, designers are encouraged to carry-out life-cycle assessments (LCA) to reduce the embodied carbon of their buildings. As the current industry overuses concrete and steel, the rule of thumb of the small scale is to move-away from this practice and choose bio-based materials associated with lower emissions. However, if everyone was to draw this conclusion, the marginal embodied carbon of bio-based materials might become so high that it defeats its original purpose.
Its aims and objectives:
In this context, the aim of this research is to carry out a system-level analysis of carbon stocks and flows of materials in the UK and to link them down to building-level design decisions. This will answer the following questions: How can we guide individual building-level design choices towards desirable system-wide outcomes? When there is significant uncertainty in potential impacts, what are the most important external factors to control to minimize these impacts?
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/T518013/1 | 01/10/2020 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 2599394 | Studentship | EP/T518013/1 | 01/10/2021 | 31/03/2025 | Rebeka ANSPACH |