Tokede, O. O.; Weththasinghe, K. K.; Kumer Shill, S.; Wijayasundara, M. and Subhani, M. (2025) Comparative evaluation of different material options for moment-resisting framing systems in buildings. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 21(6), pp. 1541-1561. ISSN 1745-2007
Abstract
Load-bearing structural frames are among the highest contributors to the economic and environmental impacts of buildings. Hence, appraising various material configurations is important to understand their effects on environmental and cost performance. This paper provides a comparative evaluation of a mid-rise residential buildings' moment-resisting framing system designed using five alternative material options. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) are conducted to compare and benchmark the performance of each moment-resisting building frame configuration. Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) is also performed to appraise inherent uncertainties to ensure that the results are reliably interpreted. It was discovered that, on average, options with steel-reinforced concrete (RC) had the highest environmental impacts across several life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) indicators except for ionising radiation potential and human toxicity potential (HTP). Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymer and Ordinary Portland Concrete (GFRP-reinforced OPC-based concrete) were found to have the least environmental impact across almost all the LCIA indicators considered. It is worth noting that the environmental indicators with relatively high variations are the Land-Use Change, Water-Use Depletion and HTP. Based on the LCC analysis, the engineered timber was found to be the most expensive option among the materials considered. On average, it is 0.7% more expensive than the benchmark steel-reinforced concrete case. However, the range of costs can vary between −1.3% and +2% relative to the base case. On the contrary, the GFRP-reinforced OPC-based concrete option is found to be, on average, 0.2% lower than the steel RC option. Finally, the geopolymer-based systems are the most favourable when considering both the LCC and LCA.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | buildings; environmental impact; life cycle assessment; life cycle costing; moment-resisting framing |
| Index terms: | cost performance, reinforced concrete, alternative material, Monte Carlo simulation, residential building, framing, life cycle assessment, configuration, life cycle impact assessment, environmental impact, option, variation, costing, depletion, life cycle, structural frame, land |
| Subjects: | contractual condition, modelling and simulation, decision analysis, value management, accounting and finance, building materials, architectural elements, environmental resource management, systems engineering, environmental impact, conceptual models, materials science, construction type, economics, real estate economics |
| Topics: | Urban Studies, Sustainability, Construction Technology, Engineering Principles, Design Practice, Contract Administration, Risk Management, Cost Management, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Project Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here