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Efficiency of Structural Materials in Sustainable Design



Author(s)

Ali Osman Kuruşcu and Zehra Canan Girgin

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DOI:10.17265/1934-7359/2014.10.007

Architecture Faculty, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul 34349, Turkey

The main aim of this paper is to investigate energy consumptions, CO₂ emissions and costs during the production and life cycle of structural materials. The virgin and recycled metals as well as waste minerals such as fly ash, slag in concrete save energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and costs. The importance and effectiveness of recycled materials will be statistically evaluated via energy consumption, carbon footprint, ultimate strength and their ratios. Embodied energy to ultimate strength or embodied carbon to ultimate strength ratios may emphasize the effectiveness of a sustainable material. The analyses in this study indicate the utilization of the recycled steel and C50 concrete with 50% fly ash or slag is the most efficient way of using sustainable materials.

CO₂, building materials, energy, strength, recycle.