Zhuocheng Duan

Abstract

This study develops an integrated life cycle assessment framework to examine the trade-off between embodied and operational emissions in building envelope design under climate change. The framework evaluates four scenarios that combine static and dynamic climate and energy conditions for a 10-storey mass timber office building across Australian cities.

Key Findings: The results show strong spatial variation in minimum life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, ranging from 1426 kgCO2eq/m² in Hobart to 8322 kgCO2eq/m² in Townsville. Climate change and grid decarbonization interact in non-linear ways, and reducing operational energy beyond the optimum can increase total life cycle emissions. The framework provides quantitative evidence for more durable low-carbon envelope design decisions.

Abstract

With global efforts in reducing building operational energy consumption, attention is increasingly turning toward mitigating embodied greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from building materials manufacturing and processing, particularly for emerging materials like mass timber. Quantifying embodied emissions typically requires the use of GHG emission coefficients from life cycle assessment (LCA) databases. However, significant variability persists in the results of LCA studies while their underlying causes remain largely unexplored.

Key Findings: Through detailed examination at material and building levels, the research reveals significant methodological inconsistencies that create substantial variations in embodied emissions. At the material level, mass timber emissions span from -686.80 to 1718.00 kgCO2eq/m³. Building-level analysis (A1-A3) reveals emission ranges of -170.31 to 434.62 kgCO2eq/m² for mass timber construction and 69.79 to 485.95 kgCO2eq/m² for concrete buildings.

Implications: The study identifies several challenges in current mass timber LCAs, including inconsistent treatment of biogenic carbon flow, varying system boundary definitions, and inadequate consideration of End-of-Life (EoL) processes for mass timber. This highlights the need for establishing standardized approaches for biogenic carbon accounting and developing more comprehensive and transparent databases to enhance the reliability of mass timber LCA.

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of climate change on office buildings in ten Australian cities, representing diverse climatic conditions. Energy simulations were conducted using Grasshopper with Ladybug tools in Rhino for a 10-storey office building, followed by a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of energy conservation measures (ECMs) under global warming.

Key Results: Significant increases in cooling demands (up to 38% under SSP585_2080 scenario), heating demand decreases (48-81% for all cases), and potential 70% reduction in building GHG emissions by 2080 due to electricity decarbonization.

Abstract

The intricate relationship between climate change and the building sector is characterized by a self-reinforcing loop. Rising temperatures driven by global warming will inevitably impact heating and cooling energy, while buildings simultaneously contribute significantly to carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle.

Key Findings: Identifies inconsistencies in methods and geographical disparities, scaling challenges from individual building to district-level predictions, and emphasizes the need for robust design using latest models and scenarios.

Abstract

This systematic review examines the effectiveness of energy conservation measures (ECMs) in buildings under future climate scenarios. The study analyzes how climate change will affect the performance of various building technologies currently employed for energy efficiency.

Key Insights: Future climate may shift heating-dominated regions into cooling-dominant environments. Solar controls will be more pronounced in the future, emphasizing the need for flexible ECMs.

Abstract

This study investigates how climate change affects the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of both cross-laminated timber (CLT) and reinforced concrete buildings in China's diverse climate zones.

Key Contributions: First comprehensive assessment of climate change impacts on building LCA in China, demonstrating the importance of considering future climate scenarios in building material selection.

Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been widely used to determine the environmental impact of mass timber construction (MTC) as a substitute for conventional construction. This article presents a systematic review of MTC from a life cycle assessment perspective, examining 62 peer-reviewed articles.

Key Findings: Mass timber buildings typically have lower global warming potential and embodied energy compared to conventional concrete and steel alternatives. Shows variety in scope, lifespan, system boundary, data sources and indicators across studies.

Abstract

This study explores the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (LCGHGE) and life cycle primary energy (LCPE) of three high-rise residential buildings in the cold region of China: conventional reinforced concrete (RC), CLT and hybrid CLT buildings.

Key Results: CLT and hybrid CLT buildings produce 15.00% and 10.77% lower LCGHGE respectively, with 46.52% and 37.24% of embodied GHG emissions reduced compared to RC building.

Abstract

This study compares the recycling potential of mass timber constructions with concrete buildings through a comprehensive case study in China. The research evaluates end-of-life scenarios and circular economy potential of different building materials.

Key Contributions: Demonstrates superior recycling potential of mass timber compared to concrete buildings, supporting circular economy principles in the construction industry.

Abstract

This research explores post-occupancy evaluation methodologies applied to Oze National Park in Japan using online reviews as a data source. The study employs content analysis, semantic analysis, and topic analysis through Python programming.

Key Methodology: Innovative use of online review data for post-occupancy evaluation, demonstrating the potential of digital data sources for understanding user experiences in architectural and landscape spaces.