Optimal Design of Truss Structures for Sustainable Carbon Emission Reduction in Korean Construction

Abstract

Due to the recent abnormalities in global temperature and increasing carbon emissions, the world is working to reduce carbon emissions. In particular, the construction sector accounts for about 37% of all carbon emissions, so it is one of the areas where sustainable reduction efforts must be made. Therefore, in this paper, an optimal design process was performed by evaluating carbon emissions as the objective function, a choice which differed from the objective function of the existing research used in the optimal design of truss structures. The metaheuristics algorithm used for the process was the advanced crow search algorithm. The levels of carbon emissions generated when the material of a truss structure consisted of a customary material (steel) were compared to scenarios in which timber was used, and a construction scenario centered on the Republic of Korea was established for comparison. The structures used as examples were 10-, 17-, 22-, and 120-bar truss structures. As a result, it was confirmed that truss structures using timber had fewer carbon emissions than structures using steel. In addition, it was confirmed that, even in the same timber structures, domestic timber had fewer carbon emissions than imported timber. These results confirmed that in order to achieve carbon neutrality in the construction field, carbon emissions must be considered in advance, in the design stage.