Quantifying and reducing embodied carbon in the acoustic design of mass timber buildings

Abstract

An adoption of mass timber construction is the construction industrys best shot at reducing its significantly large contribution to global CO2 emissions and to play its part in slowing down the climate crisis. Acoustic design in mass timber buildings typically relies on mass and facing materials in order to meet design criteria, and can account for a high proportion of the embodied carbon (CO2e) per m2 on a build. In order to fit with the ethos of mass timber construction; low embodied carbon, reusable, cradle to cradle materials must be adopted. This paper presents the findings of a study into the relationship of acoustic performance and CO2e, and proposes alternate approaches that reduce the CO2e/m2 of the acoustic design by up to 66% with little to no detriment to acoustic performance. Through single variable analysis in third party laboratory testing, and in situ testing, it has been found to be possible to utilise low COe acoustic systems that reduce the COe/m in not only the acoustic design, but structural, ME and architectural disciplines, too.