Download PDFOpen PDF in browserCO2eq Comparison Between a Light Gauge Steel Framing Structure and a CMU Structure for Single Family Residential Projects in Costa Rica9 pages•Published: May 15, 2022AbstractThe challenges posed by the degradation of the planet’s environment are of increasing importance. The United Nations have called for a substantial reduction of climate change pollutants such as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) within the next decade. The construction industry and building operations contribute an estimated 39% of the worldwide CO2eq, with 28% attributed to operational emissions and the remaining 11% to embodied emissions. This case study analyzes the embodied CO2eq by the structural portion of three residential construction projects in Costa Rica using two building systems. One building system is widely used locally, consisting of load-bearing concrete masonry unit walls and concrete elements. The other building system is a recently introduced alternative based on light gauge steel framing and paneling. The analysis shows that the light gauge steel frame alternative is more efficient in terms of embodied CO2eq by 33% averaging the three models which translates to 52.4 kgCO2eq saving per square meter of living space built. The research is limited to the three models examined, which were representative of low income, middle complexity, and higher-end types of local housing units. Construction time, cost, and other factors were not considered in this study.Keyphrases: concrete masonry construction, costa rica construction industry, embodied carbon dioxide equivalent, light gauge steel framing In: Tom Leathem, Wes Collins and Anthony Perrenoud (editors). ASC2022. 58th Annual Associated Schools of Construction International Conference, vol 3, pages 740-748.
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