Technical Papers
Jul 21, 2016

Sustainable Structural Design: Comprehensive Literature Review

Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 12

Abstract

Research on sustainable structural design (SSD) has increased significantly over the past decade. Having established the importance of structural engineering in sustainable development, researchers and practitioners have developed sustainable design strategies to address the impact of structural systems on the environment, economy, and society. Nevertheless, many studies have pointed out the inadequacy of existing assessment tools and the lack of overall understanding regarding the role of civil engineers and structural engineers in achieving sustainable goals. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art overview of SSD, focusing on design strategies, parameters for SSD, and the role of SSD in Green Building rating systems and building codes. First, the authors will clearly identify research results in this field and then point out the biggest issues when choosing SSD strategies and evaluation parameters. To conclude, this paper will discuss the characteristic tasks of structural engineers with a particular emphasis on the concepts of structural performances, design service-life, and probabilistic approach.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

Alimoradi, A. (2015). “Sustainable structural design: Outlook and potentials.” J. Struct. Eng., B2514001.
Alleman, J. E., and Berman, N. A. (1984). “Constructive sludge management: Biobrick.” J. Environ. Eng., 301–311.
Anderson, J. E., and Silman, R. (2009a). “A life cycle inventory of structural engineering design strategies for greenhouse gas reduction.” Struct. Eng. Int., 19(3), 283–288.
Anderson, J. E., and Silman, R. (2009b). “The role of the structural engineer in green building.” Struct. Eng., 87(3), 28–31.
Arup. (2014). “International sustainability systems comparison.” 〈http://publications.arup.com/Publications/I/International_Sustainability_Systems_Comparison.aspx〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
ASBC (Austrian Sustainable Building Council). (2015). “Test version of the TQB tool.” 〈https://www.oegnb.net/en/zertifikat.htm?typ=hs〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Bakhoum, E. S., and Brown, D. C. (2012). “Developed sustainable scoring system for structural materials evaluation.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 110–119.
BASIX (Building Sustainability Index). (2015). “Sample of a BASIX certificate for a single dwelling.” 〈http://www.basix.nsw.gov.au/basixcms/about-basix/basix-assessment/basix-certificates.html〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Bilec, M., Ries, R., and Matthews, H. S. (2007). “Sustainable development and green design—Who is leading the green initiative?” J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract., 265–269.
Bocchini, P., Frangopol, D. M., Ummenhofer, T., and Zinke, T. (2014). “Resilience and sustainability of civil infrastructure: Toward a unified approach.” J. Infrastruct. Syst., 04014004.
BREEAM U.K (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology). (2014). “Non-domestic buildings—Technical manual SD5076: 0.1 (DRAFT)—2014.” 〈http://www.breeam.org/filelibrary/BREEAM%20UK%20NC%202014%20Resources/SD5076_DRAFT_BREEAM_UK_New_Construction_2014_Technical_Manual_ISSUE_0.1.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Brundtland, G. H. (1987). Our common future: Brundtland-report, Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.
BS (British Standard). (1994). “Durability of wood and wood based products.” BS EN 350-2, British Standards institution.
Building and Construction Authority. (2015). “BCA green mark for new buildings (non-residential).” 〈http://www.bca.gov.sg/Greenmark/others/GM2015_NewBuildings_NRB_Pilot.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Built Green. (2008). “Built green checklist–version 2008.1.” 〈www.builtgreen.org/checklist/2008_Built_Green_Checklist.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Calvi, G. M. (2013). “Choices and criteria for seismic strengthening.” J. Earthquake Eng., 17(6), 769–802.
CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency). (2014). “CASBEE for building (new construction)—Technical manual, 2014 version.” 〈http://www.ibec.or.jp/CASBEE/english/download.htm〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). (1990). “Basis of structural design part 1.1.” Eurocode 0, Brussels, Belgium.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). (1992a). “Design of concrete structures part 1.1.” Eurocode 2, Brussels, Belgium.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). (1992b). “Design of steel structures, part 1.1.” Eurocode 3, Brussels, Belgium.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). (1994). “Design of composite steel and concrete structures, part 1.1.” Eurocode 4, Brussels, Belgium.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). (1995). “Design of timber structures, part 1.1.” Eurocode 5, Brussels, Belgium.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). (1996). “Design of masonry structures, part 1.1.” Eurocode 6, Brussels, Belgium.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). (1999). “Design of aluminium structures, part 1.1.” Eurocode 9, Brussels, Belgium.
CEPHEUS (Cost Efficient Passive Houses as European Standards). (2015). “The goals of CEPHEUS.” 〈http://www.cepheus.de/eng/〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Cerway. (2014). “Assessment scheme for environmental performance of residential buildings under construction.” 〈http://www.sweetohms.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Extrait-Ref-HQE-International.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Chaudhary, M. T. A., and Piracha, A. (2013). “Examining the role of structural engineers in green building ratings and sustainable development.” Aust. J. Struct. Eng., 14(3), 217–228.
Cole, R. J., and Kernan, P. C. (1996). “Life-cycle energy use in office buildings.” Build. Environ., 31(4), 307–317.
Copenhagen Resource Institute. (2014). “Resource efficiency in the building sector.” 〈http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/pdf/Resource%20efficiency%20in%20the%20building%20sector.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Danatzko, J., and Sezen, H. (2011). “Sustainable structural design methodologies.” Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr., 186–190.
Ding, G. K. C. (2008). “Sustainable construction—The role of environmental assessment tools.” J. Environ. Manage., 86(3), 451–464.
Directive Council. (1989). “89/106/EEC on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states relating to construction products.”.
Douglas Wood and Associates. (2007). “The structural engineer and sustainable design.” 〈http://www.douglaswood.biz/greenbulletin.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Elkington, J. B. (1997). Cannibal with forks, the triple bottom line of twentieth century business, Capstone Publishing, London.
Energy Star. (2015). “How new homes earn the energy star.” 〈www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_homes.nh_verification_process〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Environmental Classification—PromisE. (2015). 〈http://virtual.vtt.fi/virtual/proj6/environ/ympluok_e.html〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Estidama. (2010). “The pearl rating system for Estidama.” 〈http://estidama.upc.gov.ae/template/estidama/docs/PBRS%20Version%201.0.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Fernando, D., Adey, B., and Walbridge, S. (2012). “Sustainable design of steel girders for a short-span bridge.” Proc., 1st Int. Conf. on Performance-Based and Life-Cycle Structural Engineering, Faculty of Construction and Environment & Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ., Kowloon, Hong Kong, 1–10.
Fiksel, J. (2003). “Designing resilient, sustainable systems.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 37(23), 5330–5339.
Foraboschi, P., Mercanzin, M., and Trabucco, D. (2014). “Sustainable structural design of tall buildings based on embodied energy.” Energy Build., 68(2014), 254–269.
Fowler, K. M., and Rauch, E. M. (2006). “Sustainable building-rating systems summary.” Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Frangopol, D. M., Lin, K. Y., and Estes, A. C. (1997). “Life-cycle cost design of deteriorating structures.” J. Struct. Eng., 1390–1401.
Geng, Y., Dong, H., Xue, B., and Fu, J. (2012). “An overview of Chinese green building standards.” Sustainable Dev., 20(3), 211–221.
Gowri, K. (2004). “Green building rating systems: An overview.” ASHRAE J., 46(11), 56–59.
Green Building Council Australia. (2015). “Categories and credits. Green star–design and as built v1.1.” 〈http://www.gbca.org.au/green-star/green-star-design-as-built/the-rating-tool/〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Green Building Council Denmark. (2010). “An introduction to DGNB.” 〈http://www.dk-gbc.dk/media/67284/dgnb_dk-gbc_oct_2012.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Green Building Index. (2013). “GBI assessment criteria–for residential new construction.” 〈http://www.greenbuildingindex.org/Resources/GBI%20Tools/GBI%20RNC%20Residential%20Tool%20V3.0.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Green Globe. “Standard criteria and indicators.” 〈http://greenglobe.com/standard/〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Green Point Rated. (2015). “Guide to achieving a greenpoint rating.” 〈http://greenpointrated.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/GreenPointRated_BuilderHandbook.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Guggemos, A. A., and Horvath, A. (2005). “Comparison of environmental effects of steel- and concrete-framed buildings.” J. Infrastruct. Syst., 93–101.
Gustavsson, L., and Sathre, R. (2004). “Embodied energy and CO2 emission of wood-and concrete-framed buildings in Sweden.” Proc., 2nd World Conf. on Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate Protection, ETA-Florence, Italy, 1955–1958.
Haynes, R. (2010). “Embodied energy calculations within life cycle analysis of residential buildings.” 〈http://www.etoolglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Embodied-Energy-Paper-Richard-Haynes.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Hendrickson, C., Horvath, A., Joshi, S., and Lave, L. (1998). “Peer reviewed: Economic input-output models for environmental life-cycle assessment).” Environ. Sci. Technol., 32(7), 184–191.
HK-BEAM Society (Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method). (2004). “An environmental assessment for new buildings—Version 4/04.” 〈http://www.beamsociety.org.hk/files/_4-04%20New%20Buildings%20(Full%20Version).pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
HK GBC and BEAM Society (Hong Kong Green Building Council; Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method). (2009). “BEAM plus—New building.” 〈http://www.beamsociety.org.hk/files/BEAM%20Plus%20NB%20Version%201.1.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Hong, T., Ji, C., and Park, H. (2012). “Integrated model for assessing the cost and CO 2 emission (IMACC) for sustainable structural design in ready-mix concrete.” J. Environ. Manage., 103(2012), 1–8.
Indian Green Building Council. (2015). “IGBC green new buildings rating system—Version 3.0.” 〈https://igbc.in/igbc/html_pdfs/abridged/IGBC%20Green%20Buildings%20New%20Buildings%20Rating%20System%20(Version%203.0%20with%20Addendum%204)%20August%202015.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
International Living Future Institute. (2014). “Living building challengesm 3.0.—A visionary path to a regenerative future.” 〈https://living-future.org/sites/default/files/reports/FINAL%20LBC%203_0_WebOptimized_low.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
ISO (International Organization for Standardization). (2006). “Environmental management–life cycle assessment–principles and framework.” ISO 14040, Geneva, Switzerland.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization). (2015). “Sustainability in building construction—Sustainability indicators—Part 2: Framework for the development of indicators for civil engineering works.” ISO 21929–2, Geneva, Switzerland.
Kang, G., and Kren, A. (2006). “Structural engineering strategies towards sustainable design.” Proc., Structural Engineers Association of California, Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC), 473–490.
Kestner, D. M., Goupil, J., and Lorenz, E. (2010). Sustainability guidelines for the structural engineer, ASCE, Reston, VA.
Kevern, J. (2011). “Green building and sustainable infrastructure: Sustainability education for civil engineers.” J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract., 107–112.
Kibert, C. (1994). “Establishing principles and a model for sustainable construction.” 1st Int. Conf. of CIB TG 16, Center for Construction and Environment, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Klein, D. (2007). “Structural engineers, sustainability and LEED.” 〈http://content.asce.org/files/pdf/SEICongressStructuralengineersandLEED07Apr29.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Landolfo, R., Cascini, L., and Portioli, F. (2011). “Sustainability of steel structures: Towards an integrated approach to life-time engineering design.” Front. Archit. Civ. Eng. China, 5(3), 304–314.
Lee, B., Trcka, M., and Hensen, J. L. M. (2011). “Embodied energy of building materials and green building rating systems: A case study for industrial halls.” Sustainable Cities Soc., 1(2), 67–71.
Luo, L., van der Voet, E., and Huppes, G. (2009). “Life cycle assessment and life cycle costing of bioethanol from sugarcane in Brazil.” Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev., 13(6), 1613–1619.
Mahin, S. (2008). “Sustainable design considerations in earthquake engineering.” Proc., 14th World Conf. on Earthquake Engineering, Mira Digital Publishing, St. Louis, MO.
Matos, G. R. (2012). “Use of raw materials in the United States from 1900 through 2010.” U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet, Reston, VA.
Mattsson, B., Cederberg, C., and Blix, L. (2000). “Agricultural land use in life cycle assessment (LCA): Case studies of three vegetable oil crops.” J Cleaner Prod., 8(4), 283–292.
Maydl, P. (2004). “Sustainable engineering: State-of-the-art and prospects.” Struct. Eng. Int., 14(3), 176–180.
McConnell, J., and Fahnestock, L. (2015). “Innovations in steel design: Research needs for global sustainability.” J. Struct. Eng., 02514001.
Miller, D., and Doh, J. H. (2015). “Incorporating sustainable development principles into building design: A review from a structural perspective including case study.” Struct. Des. Tall Spec. Build., 24(6), 421–439.
Miller, D., Doh, J. H., Lima, M. M., and van Oers, N. V. (2014). “Embodied energy assessment of the structural system in concrete buildings: A case study on 7 South East Queensland structures.” Proc., 23 rd Australasian Conf. on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials, Southern Cross Univ., Byron Bay, NSW, Australia.
Miller, D., Doh, J. H., Panuwatwanich, K., and van Oers, N. (2015). “The contribution of structural design to green building rating systems: An industry perspective and comparison of life cycle energy considerations.” Sustainable Cities Soc., 16, 39–48.
Milne, G., and Reardon, C. (2013). “Embodied energy.” 〈http://www.yourhome.gov.au/materials/embodied-energy〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
MINERGIE-ECO. (2014). “Catalogo dei requisiti e istruzioni d’attuazione. Nuova costruzione.” 〈https://www.minergie.ch/tl_files/download_it/Documenti%20e%20tools/MINERGIE%20ECO/4004-11_08_40210_Vorgabenkatalog_Neubauten_Februar_2014_IT.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Gol, ADaRSH, and GRIHA (Association for Development and Research of Sustainable Habitats, Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment). (2015). “The little book of GRIHA rating.” 〈http://www.grihaindia.org/static/Griha%20Rating%20Booklet_Dec12.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Miyatake, Y. (1996). “Technology development and sustainable construction.” J. Manage. Eng., 23–27.
Moon, K. S. (2008). “Sustainable structural engineering strategies for tall buildings.” Struct. Des. Tall Spec. Build., 17(5), 895–914.
Moro, A. (2011). “Transnational comparison of instruments according to ecological evaluation of public buildings.” 〈http://www.enerbuild.eu/publications/2011-02_ENERBUILD-result_6-1.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
NABER (National Australian Built Environment Rating System). (2015). 〈http://www.nabers.com.au/HomeCalculator/YourHome.aspx〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Ochsendorf, J. A. (2005). “Sustainable engineering: The future of structural design.” Proc., Structures Congress 2005: Metropolis & Beyond, ASCE, Reston, VA, 1–9.
Ortiz, O., Castells, F., and Sonnemann, G. (2009). “Sustainability in the construction industry: A review of recent developments based on LCA.” Constr. Build. Mater., 23(1), 28–39.
Passer, A., Cresnik, G., Schulter, D., and Maydl, P. (2007). “Life cycle assessment of buildings comparing structural steelwork with other construction techniques.” 〈http://www.lcm2007.ethz.ch/300.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Philippine Green Building Council. (2013). “BERDE for new construction.” 〈http://philgbc.net/berde/berde-nc/1.1.0/BERDE-NC-COM-v110.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Pinheiro, M. D. (2010). “LiderA–a voluntary assessment and design support system to pursue sustainable construction in Portugal.” Proc., SB10mad Sustainable Building Conf., Labein-TECNALIA, Madrid, Spain, 28–30.
Qatar Sustainability Assessment System. (2015). “Environmental challenges and impacts: The need for regionalized System.” 〈http://www.unep.org/sbci/pdfs/Oct_symposium/SustainabilityAssessment%20System_AM.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Reed, R., Bilos, A., Wilkinson, S., and Schulte, K. W. (2009). “International comparison of sustainable rating tools.” J. Sustainable Real Estate, 1(1), 1–29.
Roaf, S., Crichton, D., and Nicol, F. (2005). Adapting buildings and cities for climate change: A 21st century survival guide, Architectural Press, Burlington, MA.
Rodriguez-Nikl, T., et al. (2015). “Disaster resilience and sustainability.” 〈http://tiny.cc/DisResSust〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Rodriguez-Nikl, T., Christiansen, J. W., and Walters, K. (2012). “Reliability-based life cycle assessment of green concrete structures.” ACI, Sustainability Issues, SP-289, ACI, Farmington Hills, MI.
Sarkisian, M., Hu, L., and Shook, D. (2012). “Mapping a structure’s impact on the environment.” Proc., Structures Congress 2012, J. Carrato and J. Burns, eds., ASCE, Reston, VA, 898–909.
Shin, K. S., Park, S. D., and Lee, S. M. (2005). “Green building certification systems in Korea.” Proc., SB05 Tokyo: Action for Sustainability—The 2005 World Sustainable Building Conf., In-House Publishing, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1714–1721.
Solari, J. (2009). “Bâtiments Durables Méditerranéens Une Aide à L’aménagement, La Construction Et La Réhabilitation Durables En Région PACA.” 〈http://www.cete-aix.fr/imgarea/Cotita_09%20club%20bat%2017.09%20aide%20F%20CHAMBONNEAU%20BDM.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
The Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV). (2011). “Service contract on management of construction and demolition waste–SR1—Final report task 2.” 〈http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/2011_CDW_Report.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Tsimplokoukou, K., Lamperti, M., and Negro, P. (2014). Building design for safety and sustainability, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
UNI/PdR 13.1 (UNI Ente Italiano di Normazione). (2015). “ITACA protocol—Environmental sustainability of construction works—Operational tools for sustainability assessment residential buildings.” 〈http://www.itaca.org/documenti/news/uni_pdr_13_1_2015.pdf〉 (Jun. 21, 2016).
U.S. EPA. (2009). “Estimating 2003 building-related construction and demolition materials amounts.” EPA530-R-09-002, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, Washington, DC.
U.S. Green Building Council. (2015). “LEED BD+C: New construction.” 〈http://www.usgbc.org/credits/new-construction/v4〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
VERDE NE (Valoración de Eficiencia de Referencia de Edificios). (2015). “Guía para los Evaluadores Acreditados.” 〈http://www.gbce.es/archivos/ckfinder/590files/GEA%20VERDE%20NE%20RO%20V%201c.pdf〉 (Oct. 1, 2015) (in Spanish).
VGBC (Vietnam Green Building Council). (2015). “LOTUS green building rating and classification system.” 〈http://vgbc.org.vn/index.php/pages/lotus-rating-tool〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
WBDG Sustainable Committee (The Whole Building Design Guide). (2014). “Sustainable.” 〈https://www.wbdg.org/design/sustainable.php〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).
Webster, M. D. (2004). “Relevance of structural engineers to sustainable design of buildings.” Struct. Eng. Int., 14(3), 181–185.
Wijemanne, R. (2010). “Green SL rating system for built environment.” 〈https://www.scribd.com/doc/219991230/Green-Sri-Lanka-Rating-System〉 (Oct. 1, 2015).

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Structural Engineering
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 142Issue 12December 2016

History

Received: Oct 2, 2015
Accepted: Jun 8, 2016
Published online: Jul 21, 2016
Published in print: Dec 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Dec 21, 2016

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Margherita Pongiglione, A.M.ASCE [email protected]
Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Genoa, Via Montallegro 1, 16145 Genova, Italy (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]
Chiara Calderini [email protected]
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Genoa, Via Montallegro 1, 16145 Genova, Italy. E-mail: [email protected]

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share