Effects of design and construction on the carbon footprint of reinforced concrete columns in residential buildings

Abstract

Constructing structural elements requires high performance materials. Important decisions about geometry and materials are made during the design and execution phases. This study analyzes and evaluates the relevant factors for reinforced concrete columns made in situ for residential buildings. This article identifies and highlights the most sensitive aspects in column design: geometry, type of cement, and concrete strength performance. Using C-40 concrete mixed with CEM-II proved to cut costs (up to 17.83%) and emissions (up to 13.59%). The ideal combination of rebar and concrete is between 1.47 and 1.73: this is the percentage of the ratio between the area of rebar and the area of the concrete section. The means used during the execution phase affect resource optimization. The location of a building has only a minor impact, wherein the wind zone exercises more influence than topographic altitude.