STRUCTURAL AND LIFE CYCLE ANALYSES FOR A TIMBER-CONCRETE HYBRID BUILDING

Abstract

The concerns related to the impact of construction materials are increasing globally. Timber-based hybrid buildings combine the structural benefits of multiple materials, reduce the carbon footprint, shorten construction times, and potentially improve seismic and building physics performances. In this paper, a ten-story timber-concrete hybrid building, designed for a location in the Guizhou Province, China, is compared to a pure concrete building. The structural analysis showed that the self-weight of the hybrid structure was reduced by 30% compared with the concrete structure, and the base shear forces in X- and Y-directions decreased by 43% and 29%, respectively. The life-cycle analysis showed that hybrid building had lower impacts than the concrete building in six categories: global warming potential, acidification potential, human health particulate, eutrophication potential, ozone depletion potential, and photochemical ozone formation potential. Specifically, in terms of global warming potential, the hybrid building had nearly 65% lower emissions, and the wood components have the additional advantage to store carbon over their lifetime. These results promote the development and application of high-rise timber-based hybrid buildings in China.