Performance-Based Selection of Concrete Strength Grades in Terms of Embodied Carbon and Economic Efficiency for Structural Elements

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:This study offers a systematic approach to optimizing concrete grade per structural element, with sensitivity analysis confirming the dominant role of steel in columns and concrete in beams.

🏢実務担当者:Construction firms can use these findings to select concrete grades that minimize both embodied carbon and costs while maintaining structural performance.

🏛政策担当者:Regulators can consider element-specific strength guidelines to encourage low-carbon concrete use in building codes.

The construction industry, particularly reinforced concrete structures, is one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions. These high emissions are due to the high embodied carbon content of the primary materials, namely, cement and reinforcing steel. Therefore, in line with efforts to transition to low-carbon construction, improving the material efficiency of structural elements is a top priority that must be implemented immediately. This study focused on assessing the impact of concrete compressive strength on the embodied carbon and cost of RC beams and columns of various dimensions that achieved the same structural performance. Multiple beam and column configurations with four common concrete grades (25, 28, 32, and 35 MPa) were studied. In each case, the steel reinforcement concrete was designed to meet the specified flexural or axial moment capacities so that they could be compared on equal terms. Embodied carbon was calculated for each case using a cradle-to-gate methodology according to BS EN 15978:2011, while the cost analysis was based on direct material quantities. The findings indicated that, for RC beams, stronger grades of concrete increased the cost and embodied carbon without significantly increasing the structural capacity, particularly in larger sections. The most sustainable and cost-effective solution involves the use of low-strength concrete and more compact beam sections. However, the size and strength of RC columns have the advantage of reducing the amount of reinforcement, and consequently, the embodied carbon and cost. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of these trends, particularly the predominant impact of steel on columns and concrete for beams. The study concluded that choosing the optimal concrete strength should consider the element and geometry: lower grades should be assigned to beams, while higher grades should be reserved for compression-dominated columns. The results assist in the practical determination of sustainable materials for structural design while also defending performance-based, economically effective, and cost-efficient RC construction.

• semanticscholar https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/ijce-v13i4p103first seen 2026-06-29 06:32:53