The role of multi-story structural building systems on reducing embodied energy consumption and carbon emissions

Abstract

During the last decades many structural building systems were implemented in multi-story buildings production. Each of these systems consumes energy and produce carbon emissions from the early stage from the extraction of materials to the construction of a building. The selection of structural building systems with low embodied energy and carbon emissions reduces the impact of buildings on the global environment. The purpose of this research is to make a comparison in embodied energy consumption and carbon emissions between the most conventional building structural systems for multi-story building in Iraq. Through examine different solutions for structural building systems. This research aims to identify the most efficient structural building systems and materials in embodied energy consumption and carbon emissions for multi-story buildings in Iraq. Results demonstrated that the building of reinforced concrete structure has provided better results and consumed less embodied the energy and carbon emissions, as compared to the pre-cast concrete and steel structural building systems.