Reducing the carbon footprint in materials and industrialized building construction
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Introduction. The growth of construction and the adoption of industrialized systems increase the consumption of materials and the carbon embodied in the material (A1-A3), transport (A4), and construction (A5) modules of a life cycle assessment (LCA). This article identifies trends and parameters, quantifies the 100-year global warming potential (GWP100) of A1–A5 in a representative building, and prioritizes mitigation strategies.
Objective. The objective of this research is to establish carbon footprint reduction strategies based on the identification of trends and research parameters and an archetype for industrialized buildings within the Colombian context.
Methodology. A bibliometric analysis is performed in Scopus to understand recent trends and influential parameters in reducing embodied carbon in industrialized buildings. Next, GWP100 is quantified in A1–A5 with an archetype, using One Click LCA (LCA: Life Cycle Assessment) software. Finally, mitigation strategies are identified and prioritized.
Results. The industrialized building archetype reached 140.51 kg CO₂e/m² in A1–A5. The scenario improves (cement with less clinker, recycled steel, optimized transport, and electrification of equipment) under the impact to 85.57 kg CO₂e/m², a reduction of 39.10%. The most effective strategies were associated with the selection of sustainable materials.
Conclusions. Early specification decisions such as cements with higher clinker substitution, 100% scrap steel, and verifiable environmental product declarations (EPD), together with the selection of short transport routes and the electrification of equipment, represent the strategies with the best impact reduction.
- Carbon footprint
- Global warming
- Sustainable development
- Construction materials
- Construction industry
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