Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal
Category
Health & Natural Sciences & Engineering > Engineering > Civil and Environmental Engineering
Received
January 24, 2023
Accepted
June 15, 2023
Published
June 15, 2023
Copyright
Articles in Spectra are freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which allows others to re-use the work without permission as long as the work is properly cited.
Data Availability Statement
The carbon emission data and structural analysis data that relate to the results of this study are available by request from the author.
Conflicts of Interest
The author declares no conflicts of interest from conducting this research.
Ethical Considerations
The research conducted did not impact human health/well-being.
Funding
The research conducted was supported by the McNair Scholars Institute.
Abstract
This paper explores recent developments in timber building designs and its potential towards reducing carbon emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions are a growing issue worldwide as urbanization and industrialization continues to increase. The rising concentration of carbon dioxide emissions pose significant concerns towards public welfare and environmental health. Despite current methods to reduce greenhouse gasses, carbon emissions remain difficult to reduce from steel and concrete industries. Increasing timber use in building design is a possible solution. Increasing more timber in building design can help reduce carbon emissions due to the carbon-absorbing properties of the construction material. Timber as a construction material plays a significant role in modern buildings with a focus towards sustainable design. In this review, a systematic approach was used to find literature that could be analyzed to find which timber building designs would be feasible in mitigating carbon dioxide emissions. It was concluded that both timber and timber-hybrid buildings are effective at reducing carbon emissions. Timber-hybrid buildings are a potential application towards increasing timber in building designs in a way that doesn’t compromise their structural integrity. The most favorable building design that balanced sustainability and structural integrity was the timber-steel building design. However, more studies are needed to further investigate the connection assemblies of timber buildings, as well as implementation of forest management practices to prevent overharvesting of timber. With further development, there can be a balance between technological advancements and environmental welfare.
Keywords
systematic literature review, carbon dioxide, timber design, sustainability, environment, carbon emissions
Submission Type
Thesis-based research article
Recommended Citation
Jackson, R. (2023). Recent developments in timber design and its impact on carbon emissions. Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal, 3(1), 33-40. https://doi.org/10.9741/2766-7227.1026
Included in
Construction Engineering and Management Commons, Engineering Science and Materials Commons, Environmental Engineering Commons, Structural Engineering Commons
