Influence of Seismic Design Decisions on the Life Cycle Environmental Impact of an RC Building

Mehmet Oruç*, Ufuk Yazgan

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Buildings constitute a significant share of global energy-related carbon emissions due to emissions during their use and manufacturing of the construction materials. Additionally, emissions related to the repair of seismic damages also contribute to the total emissions in seismically active regions. This study focuses on the impact of a significant seismic design decision, namely, the selected ductility class, on the expected total life cycle environmental impact of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. The proposed life cycle assessment framework evaluates the environmental impacts during the construction and those related to repairing potential seismic damages during its service life. Three case study RC building models that are designed for different ductility classes are considered in the investigation. Expected emissions due to seismic damage are obtained probabilistically by integrating the structural fragility with the seismic hazard at the site. As a result, the considered environmental impact accounts for the entire service life of the building, including any potential seismic events that may cause damage to the structure. The environmental impact of seismic damage is calculated by considering the emissions related to the repair/replacement of structural elements, non-structural elements, and major appliances. The results show that the building designed for a higher ductility class has a lower expected life cycle environmental impact, even in regions of high seismic activity. Furthermore, it was observed that the contribution of non-structural elements to the total seismic repair emissions was considerably high for the considered case study building.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationBuilding for the Future
Subtitle of host publicationDurable, Sustainable, Resilient - Proceedings of the Symposium 2023 - Volume 2
EditorsAlper Ilki, Derya Çavunt, Yavuz Selim Çavunt
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages706-717
Number of pages12
ISBN (Print)9783031325106
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
EventInternational Symposium of the International Federation for Structural Concrete, fib Symposium 2023 - Istanbul, Turkey
Duration: 5 Jun 20237 Jun 2023

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Civil Engineering
Volume350 LNCE
ISSN (Print)2366-2557
ISSN (Electronic)2366-2565

Conference

ConferenceInternational Symposium of the International Federation for Structural Concrete, fib Symposium 2023
Country/TerritoryTurkey
CityIstanbul
Period5/06/237/06/23

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Keywords

  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Environmental Impact Assessment
  • Loss Assessment
  • Seismic Design
  • Sustainability

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