Evaluation of environmental sustainability threshold of “humid” and “dry” building systems, for reduction of embodied carbon (CO2)

Abstract

The New Italian Procurement Code (Legislative Decree No. 50/2016), in compliance with the EU directives 26/02/2014, has introduced, among other things, the possibility of obtaining awards, during the awarding of the contract , in terms of reducing the estimated energy impact in the life cycle of the work. The objective of this study was to direct architectural design towards conscious choices that are compatible with environmental legislation. The study, therefore, aimed to analyze the characteristics of the most widespread (wet and dry) construction systems, in order to determine environmental sustainability thresholds referring to each of the four systems hypothesized for the development of the model. The simulated cases for the definition of the model refer to the following construction systems: M1 (structural system in load-bearing masonry); M2 (constructive system with frame structure and traditional brick cladding); M3 (constructive system with metallic bearing structure and dry stratified shell); M4 (constructive system with wooden supporting structure and dry stratified shell). The results indicated design scenarios aimed at using constructive systems that present advantages in terms of disassembly, recovery and reuse of the various components; in addition to the attitude of such systems, to be resilient, or to be able to be adapted and transformed during the life cycle of the building organism.

Mitigation Strategies for Reduction of Embodied Energy and Carbon, in the Construction Systems of Contemporary Quality Architecture

“…The results confirmed the validity of the method already developed by the authors, on an experimental basis, for comparing the overall energy consumption of simulated wet and dry construction systems [43]. The traditional building systems in load-bearing masonry and concrete (model 1), classified as wet systems, are mainly massive systems, and require the use of a greater quantity of materials than the dry building systems, which are mainly light, such as steel and wood (models 2-3).…”

Management of demolition phases and related waste, in a building renovation project near Salerno, Italy

“…related to reductions in environmental pressures resulting from the dynamics hypothesised for the development of the experimental model (mod.2). It is evident, in fact, that the latter approach has a lower impact in terms of exploitation of primary resources [18], as well as in terms of reduction of CO 2 emissions [19][20].…”

Circular Construction Process: Method for Developing a Selective, Low CO2eq Disassembly and Demolition Plan

“…In fact, thanks to the strategies applied in recent years in the energy retrofit sector, the critical issues related to the operational energy consumption of existing buildings and the related greenhouse gas emissions have definitely decreased. However, the strategy of reducing the operational energy of the building stock through the construction of better performing buildings has not been sufficient to trigger a trend reversal [8,9]. These activities, while improving in one respect, have led to a significant increase in the demand for new, higher-performance building materials, ignoring the side effects related to embodied energy and associated greenhouse gas emissions.…”

“…Therefore, the two key phases to achieve an effective closing of the loop are design and demolition. The present study intends to investigate phases C and D, as the design choice has been set to investigate steel building systems which result, from previous studies on the topic, to be more prone to disassembly operations at the end of life and with lower embedded CO2 emissions (compared to more traditional building systems) [9,10]. This study investigates modules C and D of the BS EN 15978:2011 scheme [6] (Figure 1), because, as we have to aspire to the closed-loop model (cradle to cradle), technical options for reuse and recycling in the management of construction material flows are indispensable.…”

“…Therefore, the two key phases to achieve an effective closing of the loop are design and demolition. The present study intends to investigate phases C and D, as the design choice has been set to investigate steel building systems which result, from previous studies on the topic, to be more prone to disassembly operations at the end of life and with lower embedded CO 2 emissions (compared to more traditional building systems) [9,10].…”