Analysis of embodied carbon emissions for a relocatable modular steel building in South Korea

Abstract

As the construction industry is emerging as a major factor in global environmental problems, research is ongoing to reduce the environmental impact in the construction process. In order to reduce the environmental impact of the construction process, the application of the modular construction method that can minimize the procedure in construction stage is expanding. Various studies have been conducted to expand the application of modular buildings, and environmental benefits analysis is also under way. However, the research conducted so far has targeted modular timber buildings that applied the structure of early modular buildings. The environmental impact evaluation studies of modular steel buildings, which are mainly used for the advantages of various aspects such as structure, are insufficient. The purpose of this study is to prove the sustainability of the modular steel building by conducting an analysis of the embodied carbon emissions. As a result of the analysis, it was possible to reduce the embodied carbon emission by about 37.75% of the modular steel building compared to the conventional construction method. Through these results, it was demonstrated that the environmental benefits of modular steel buildings reduce carbon emissions quantitatively in the same context as the environmental benefits of modular timber buildings already found in previous studies. These results are expected to be used as a basis to support the overall sustainability of the modular construction method.