Towards Zero Carbon Buildings The building industry accounts for almost 40% of the total carbon emissions that are directly responsible for climate change. The buildings are now deploying energy-efficient solutions to lower carbon emissions from the operational phase. This adversely affects the share of embodied carbon emissions of building materials. The literature research was conducted to report advanced building materials such as carbon cured concrete, carbonated aggregates to reduce cement quantity, and hempcrete. Types of wood were also identified to understand their application in construction. The graduation thesis aimed to study and compare the life cycle impact of different materials in building applications. The main research question was: “What alternate materials and strategies can be used in building design that can lower the embodied carbon footprint to meet zero carbon goals?�
BT-Bundle |2020
The life cycle assessment method was adapted using certain assumptions to account for circular design approaches. End-of-life scenarios for all the materials were formed and compared using the assessment method. The analysis of materials in different building applications presented a significant difference between bio-based materials and other conventional materials such as steel, aluminium, and concrete. A reduction of almost 120% in the total carbon emissions of the studied building was estimated when biobased materials were used over the existing materials. The proposed materials, along with energy recovery potential at their end-of-life, even showed the potential to achieve a carbon negative structural system. The proposed scenario of using bio-based material solutions in a building with a longer life span displayed better potential than a circular building construction. The role of biomass in mitigating climate change was thus highlighted.
Comparison of embodied carbon emissions in existing and proposed building case
Name Graduation year Tutors 14
Rahul Grover 2020 Andy van den Dobbelsteen & Thaleia Konstantino
