What can the construction industry do to contribute to the environment and reduce the carbon footprint?
“Buildings generate almost 40% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions,” according to WoodWorks Regional Director Chelsea Drenick. Climate change is a controversial issue yet, making an effort to do better for the global good is something to consider in every industry.
DCI Engineers Senior Project Manager Robin Landis said, ““There’s a huge opportunity for us as building designers to improve the way buildings are built and contribute to the solutions to greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing operational carbon cannot be the only solution. It must go hand-in-hand with reducing embodied carbon.”
Materials is a major component in construction and thus the main means of addressing embodied carbon in buildings. For more details, please read the Bisnow article, Mass Timber Punches Above Its Weight In Reducing Buildings’ Embodied Carbon Footprint, https://www.bisnow.com/san-francisco/news/sustainability/mass-timber-punches-above-its-weight-in-reducing-buildings-embodied-carbon-footprint-108680
Either way, the structural strength of building’s need to be addressed if they were built before 1996. Therefore, whether you’re using new carbon footprint friendly material it is essential to make sure the structural aspects of buildings are upheld to the highest standards to prevent risk and damage from seismic activity. Best practice is to perform seismic retrofits, contact Saunders Construction for details, https://saundersseismic.com/contact/.