Parametric analysis on embodied carbon (CO2-e) in reinforced concrete-based buildings.

Concrete is the largest contributor to carbon emissions in the construction sector. However, recently there have been no studies analyzing embodied carbon in normal concrete with specific reviews on one structural element and reinforced concrete buildings with variations in structural configuration. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of material variables and designs of reinforced concrete beam and reinforced concrete buildings on the value of embodied carbon which can then be used as a consideration of low-emission building design. This research was conducted using parametric analysis methods using Building Information Modeling-based applications and ICE Cement, Mortar, and Concrete Model – V1.1 Beta. Reinforced concrete beam were designed with single reinforcement with minimum and maximum reinforcement ratio and in cross-sectional dimension ratios, namely 1:3, 1:2, and 2:3. Reinforced concrete buildings were designed with 3 variations of column elevation, namely 3000 mm, 3500 mm, 4000 mm, and 3 variations in beam span, namely 3000 mm, 4000 mm, 6000 mm. The results of this study show that the greater the ratio of width to height of the beam (b/h) and the reinforcement ratio, the higher the embodied carbon produced. The denser and higher the elevation of the column used, the greater the embodied carbon produced. In reinforced concrete buildings, the cradle-to-gate stage produces embodied carbon by 49.69%, the construction stage by 2.93% and End of Life by 4.39%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]