Comparison and sensitivity analysis of embodied carbon emissions and costs associated with rural house construction in China to identify sustainable structural forms

Abstract

Sustainable development is crucial to rural regions in China. Although previous studies have investigated the carbon emissions and costs of single-family and rural houses, relatively few studies have compared the characteristics of different structural forms and verified the reliability of their results. In light of sustainable development of rural building structures in China, this study assessed process-based and subproject-based emissions, as well as the costs associated with the construction of a rural residential house, with consideration of three common structural forms. Among the schemes designed using a reinforced concrete framed (CF), block masonry (BM), and prefabricated masonry (PM) structure, the BM scheme afforded the lowest emissions and costs, whereas the CF scheme led to the highest emissions and costs. To identify the key processes for measuring embodied emissions and costs, contribution indicators were proposed and an uncertainty analysis was conducted according to variations in emission factors. The results indicate that the comparison and findings are reliable with respect to current technical levels. A further sensitivity analysis revealed that the CF and PM schemes had the potential to be low-carbon alternatives if emissions from steel and cement production can be significantly reduced in a future scenario. This paper proposes relevant suggestions from the perspectives of material selection, structural member design, and structural form decisions and its findings can help improve the sustainability of rural houses.