5 Structural (STR)

Since the load bearing systems of the building often contribute a lot to the climate impact, it is especially important that STR and MAT communicate a lot during the design process. Since different materials have different load bearing capabilities, MAT must be ready to help STR calculate the difference in climate impact between multiple solutions, or at the very least provide them with the necessary knowledge to make the calculations themselves.

The climate impact of the structural system should be a constant consideration from the beginning of the project to avoid locking the project into a high impact solution, as changes to the structural system are much easier to implement early in the design process. This means that MAT must be ready to help STR calculate the difference in climate impact between multiple solutions, or at the very least provide them with the necessary knowledge to make the calculations themselves. Additionally, STR must also collaborate with ARCH, as the building design directly influences the structural system in terms of type of system and material quantities needed. Different solutions should be evaluated through variant studies. See 1.2 Material Selection in 1 General LCA Prioritization for specific example.

Table 5.1, Table 5.2 and Table 5.3 describe the information needed to model beams, columns, in-situ and pre-cast elements. What’s important is that the total quantities are recorded, with beams and columns measured in meters and walls and slabs in square meters. Naturally, all the required information will not be available for LCA calculations in the early design stages, in which case educated assumptions are fine.

Table 5.1 Overview of necessary information to model beams and columns in an LCA (suggestion).

Table 5.2 Overview of necessary information to model Wall elements and hollow core slabs in an LCA (suggestion). Generic datasets and EPDs typically express quantities pr m or m2 of each element.

Table 5.3 Overview of necessary information to model Cast-in-place walls and slabs in an LCA (suggestion).