Environmental Performance of Alternative Building Materials in the Context of Residential Construction
Abstract
The rise of global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions establish the critical importance of sustainable development strategies, particularly in material efficiency. The Building sector is a large contributor of global CO2 emissions. The growing global population drives demand for residential construction, amplifying the need for alternative building materials and methods to mitigate carbon emissions while meeting housing needs. One potential solution lies in repurposing shipping containers, with millions circulating globally each year, making it an ideal resource for structural construction material. This thesis aims to quantify and compare the environmental impact of framing materials used in residential construction, specifically standard wood framing and Intermodal Steel Building Unit (ISBU) framing. ISBUs are the term for ISO shipping containers repurposed for building construction. We model our dimensions from an off-grid shipping container home designed and built by Team UCSC, EcoHus, to conduct an Eco Audit of manufacturing stages of the building lifecycle using Ansys®Granta EduPack 2021 software. We found that the materials used for the standard wood frame home require 2.67 times more energy and emit 2.31 times more CO2 than the ISBU framing. Additionally, we examine the sustainable attributes of EcoHus, including its integration of renewable energy and water systems. While acknowledging the considerable work ahead, this research contributes to the exploration of advancing sustainable practices in residential building construction and aims to guide future endeavors in decarbonizing the building sector through sustainable design strategies.