Watt, H. orcid.org/0000-0003-1822-5913, Davison, B. orcid.org/0000-0002-6191-7301, Hodgson, P. et al. (2 more authors) (2025) Assessing the upfront carbon cost of structural adaptability. Structures, 71. 108066. ISSN 2352-0124
Abstract
As the need for immediate carbon reductions becomes more evident, the structural engineering industry must decide upon the balance between the need for short-term carbon savings, through optimisation strategies such as lean design, and the implications of long-term structural adaptability (or lack thereof). In order to make informed decisions about this, the carbon costs must be quantified. This paper provides an initial benchmark for the carbon costs of adaptability across four design inputs (imposed load, vibration limit, storey height and grid arrangement) applied to medium-rise steel-framed composite floor building structures. The carbon results are then combined with a proposal for an adaptability scoring method, highlighting optimum areas within each parameter range where the upfront carbon cost might be outweighed by the adaptability benefit it provides. The approach of assessing adaptability benefit per unit of carbon is a novel contribution to both research and design decision-making processes, providing the evidence to balance the desires of the short-term with the consequences in the long-term.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Institution of Structural Engineers. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Adaptability; optimisation; embodied carbon; circular economy; sustainability |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 2733613 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 28 Jan 2025 10:07 |
Last Modified: | 28 Jan 2025 10:07 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.istruc.2024.108066 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:222457 |