Impact of using high strength low alloy steel on reducing the embodied energy, carbon, and water impacts of building structures: A case study

Buildings consume embodied energy (EE) and embodied water (EW) during construction due to the use of materials like steel, adding embodied carbon (EC) to the atmosphere. Using high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel can save steel requirements; however, this potential of HSLA steel to decrease steel us...

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Main Authors: Manish Kumar Dixit, Pranav Pradeep Kumar, Sarbajit Banerjee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-04-01
Series:Developments in the Built Environment
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666165925000717
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author Manish Kumar Dixit
Pranav Pradeep Kumar
Sarbajit Banerjee
author_facet Manish Kumar Dixit
Pranav Pradeep Kumar
Sarbajit Banerjee
author_sort Manish Kumar Dixit
collection DOAJ
description Buildings consume embodied energy (EE) and embodied water (EW) during construction due to the use of materials like steel, adding embodied carbon (EC) to the atmosphere. Using high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel can save steel requirements; however, this potential of HSLA steel to decrease steel use has not been evaluated thoroughly. Using a cradle-to-site system boundary, this paper applies input-output-based hybrid (IOH) modeling to measure savings in steel and EE, EC, and EW use due to using HSLA steel in a reinforced concrete and steel structure. The IOH model integrates macro-economic input-output data with structural analysis to quantify these savings in embodied impacts. Results show that HSLA steel decreases the requirements of steel sections and rebar by 2.5 %–7 % and 6 %–40 %, respectively. These savings generate 2 %–6 % decrease in EE and EC for steel sections and 6 %–18 % for rebar, reducing EW by 2 %–6 % and 5 %–18 % for steel sections and rebar, respectively.
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institution Kabale University
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series Developments in the Built Environment
spelling doaj-art-aad0fe683d314510b0d8a1c16aa8e2c72025-08-20T03:52:24ZengElsevierDevelopments in the Built Environment2666-16592025-04-012210067110.1016/j.dibe.2025.100671Impact of using high strength low alloy steel on reducing the embodied energy, carbon, and water impacts of building structures: A case studyManish Kumar Dixit0Pranav Pradeep Kumar1Sarbajit Banerjee2Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA; Corresponding author.Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USATexas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USABuildings consume embodied energy (EE) and embodied water (EW) during construction due to the use of materials like steel, adding embodied carbon (EC) to the atmosphere. Using high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel can save steel requirements; however, this potential of HSLA steel to decrease steel use has not been evaluated thoroughly. Using a cradle-to-site system boundary, this paper applies input-output-based hybrid (IOH) modeling to measure savings in steel and EE, EC, and EW use due to using HSLA steel in a reinforced concrete and steel structure. The IOH model integrates macro-economic input-output data with structural analysis to quantify these savings in embodied impacts. Results show that HSLA steel decreases the requirements of steel sections and rebar by 2.5 %–7 % and 6 %–40 %, respectively. These savings generate 2 %–6 % decrease in EE and EC for steel sections and 6 %–18 % for rebar, reducing EW by 2 %–6 % and 5 %–18 % for steel sections and rebar, respectively.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666165925000717
spellingShingle Manish Kumar Dixit
Pranav Pradeep Kumar
Sarbajit Banerjee
Impact of using high strength low alloy steel on reducing the embodied energy, carbon, and water impacts of building structures: A case study
Developments in the Built Environment
title Impact of using high strength low alloy steel on reducing the embodied energy, carbon, and water impacts of building structures: A case study
title_full Impact of using high strength low alloy steel on reducing the embodied energy, carbon, and water impacts of building structures: A case study
title_fullStr Impact of using high strength low alloy steel on reducing the embodied energy, carbon, and water impacts of building structures: A case study
title_full_unstemmed Impact of using high strength low alloy steel on reducing the embodied energy, carbon, and water impacts of building structures: A case study
title_short Impact of using high strength low alloy steel on reducing the embodied energy, carbon, and water impacts of building structures: A case study
title_sort impact of using high strength low alloy steel on reducing the embodied energy carbon and water impacts of building structures a case study
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666165925000717
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AT sarbajitbanerjee impactofusinghighstrengthlowalloysteelonreducingtheembodiedenergycarbonandwaterimpactsofbuildingstructuresacasestudy