Predicting the Best Stability System for High-Rise Steel Buildings by an Artificial Neural Network

Selecting the optimal stability framework for high-rise steel buildings is a critical decision that impact both economic efficiency and sustainability. This decision is not easy since there are many stability frameworks to choose from, such as tube, concrete shear-wall, and outrigger system. Designers and clients aspire to compare multiple...

The Potential of Small, Low-carbon, Zero-energy Housing: A Multidimensional Approach

This thesis examines the potential of small, low-carbon, (near) zero-energy dwellings as a solution that would both address sustainability challenges and answer to the growing housing shortage in North-West Europe. It adopts a multidimensional outlook that encompasses institutional, social and technical aspects surrounding the dwellings. The...

Towards Sustainable Investments: Integrating Embodied Carbon Reduction in Investment Decision-Making by Using a Discounted Cash Flow Model

To combat global warming, it is crucial to eliminate CO2 emissions by 2050, especially since a third of global emissions are attributed to the building and construction industry. This sector's carbon footprint comprises operational emissions from daily activities and embodied carbon throughout a building's lifecycle. However, as buildings become...

100 000 biobased top-ups: Quickest route to Paris Proof housing

In the light of climate change and environmental challenges such as a nitrogen crisis, a decreasing biodiversity and waterlogging, the Dutch government is trying to build 900 000 homes by 2030 while aiming for a reduction of 55% of CO2 in the construction industry. Biobased topping-up of existing tenement flats is proposed as a solution to...

Downsizing and the use of timber as embodied carbon reduction strategies for new-build housing: A partial life cycle assessment

The 2050 decarbonization goals coupled with the growing housing shortage in Europe intensify the pressure on new-build dwellings to enhance their energy performance. Beyond a zero operational energy, the focus has shifted towards reducing embodied carbon (EC). Against this backdrop, this study investigates the simultaneous impact of downsizing...

Embodied carbon optimization for gridshells: A method to assess and optimize the global warming potential of gridshell structures

With 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions originating from the built environment, the construction sector has a big responsibility to reduce global warming. The impact that structural designs have, is often calculated by simply multiplying a carbon factor with the mass of the structure. As gridshell structures feature a high number of nodes,...

Embodied carbon: the hidden challenge for real estate developers: Achieving net-zero carbon building ambitions by steering on including embodied carbon during the early design process

Purpose:<br/>Given the urgent need to decarbonize the building and construction industry to prevent a catastrophic climate breakdown. The United Nations has called for action from industry leaders to drastically decrease their carbon footprint, and bring it to zero by 2050 at the latest. Efforts to decrease operational carbon emissions...

A sustainably optimized highrise concept

Due to population growth we need more buildings, but due to urbanization there are hardly any opportunities to densify in highly concentrated cities. While we inevitably need more buildings, we have to also take into account that the construction industry is one of the major contributors to climate change. In order to prevent further damage on...

Almere Pampus - A timber city steering towards a nature-inclusive urbanism

Cities are constructed with extractive, finite resources that put enormous pressure on global climatic conditions. The building and construction sector is responsible for 36 percent of the global energy demand and 37 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. With the prospect of massive urbanization, the built environment will...

An Envelope - for an extension at Proteus Eretes: circular, carbon sequestering approach towards zero embodied carbon

Building sector is responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions, which makes it a main actor for climate change due to its high greenhouse gas emissions. Further, it is estimated that this 39% is total of 11% Embodied Carbon emissions (mainly the carbon emissions during construction processes and material production processes) and 28%...

RE-FACADE GLASS PANELS: made by Construction & Demolition Recycled Glass

Although glass is a known material for centuries, extensive usage and today’s technology –with modern construction methods– made glass one of the most valuable materials of the present and future. Witnessing an immense progression and a broad innovative boost in the construction field, creating the perfect link between indoor and outdoor...

Multi-Objective optimisation in grid-shell design: Structural, Fabrication and Sustainability trade-offs in grid-shells at early-stage design

The following work focuses on giving an appreciation of gridshell performances at an early stage of design. It has per goal to implement a tool that will orient the user toward a set of possible “best performing” designs. The aspects of interest in this trade-off exploration are the global warming potential, time of fabrication and construction,...

Timber-Glass Curtain Wall: An embodied carbon, structural and thermal performance study for timber and glass bonded with structural silicone

The present research investigates the potential of timber-glass composites in unitized curtain wall façade applications. Hybrid aluminum-timber curtain walls and timber-glass composites are explored, while specific design criteria, timber and adhesive limitations and unique material properties are defined. A geometry study is conducted though...

Exploring the impact of the EU emissions tradings system allowance price on sustainable construction: a Dutch case study: Exploring the relation between the allowance price and the affordability of a wooden structure compared to conventional structures out of steel and concrete for a large distribution centre

The global population is growing rapidly, so the construction sector must keep up by increasing the number of houses and improving the infrastructure. The construction sector is importance to support economic growth and social development within society. However, the conflict that arises here is that the activities of the construction sector are...

Retention not demolition: how heritage thinking can inform carbon reduction

Two key benefits of building retention and adaptation, over demolition and new build are identified in the academic literature as: the conservation of heritage, and reductions in embodied greenhouse gas emissions from construction materials. A four-year research project, including expert interviews, focus groups and three detailed case...

Circular economy of façades: Real-world challenges and opportunities

Reuse and high-value recycling have a pivotal role to play in reducing waste and minimising carbon emissions in the built environment. Design strategies for such recovery methods have yet to be fully established in the façade industry. Meanwhile, stringent regulations, aimed at reducing operational carbon emissions of buildings and improving...

Towards Zero Carbon Buildings: Reducing the embodied carbon footprint of a construction

The building industry accounts for almost 40% of the total carbon emissions that are directly responsible for climate change. The buildings are now deploying energy-efficient solutions to lower carbon emissions from the operational phase. This adversely affects the share of embodied carbon emissions of building materials. The graduation thesis...

Environmental impacts cost assessment model of residential building using an artificial neural network

Purpose: Buildings are major contributors to greenhouse gases (GHG) along the various stages of the building life cycle. A range of tools have been utilised for estimating building energy use and environmental impacts; these are time-consuming and require massive data that are not necessarily available during early design stages. Therefore,...