Assessing the upfront carbon cost of structural adaptability

As the need for immediate carbon reductions becomes more evident, the structural engineering industry must decide upon the balance between the need for short-term carbon savings, through optimisation strategies such as lean design, and the implications of long-term structural adaptability (or lack thereof). In order to make informed decisions about this, the carbon costs must be quantified. This paper provides an initial benchmark for the carbon costs of adaptability across four design inputs (imposed load, vibration limit, storey height and grid arrangement) applied to medium-rise steel-framed composite floor building structures. The carbon results are then combined with a proposal for an adaptability scoring method, highlighting optimum areas within each parameter range where the upfront carbon cost might be outweighed by the adaptability benefit it provides. The approach of assessing adaptability benefit per unit of carbon is a novel contribution to both research and design decision-making processes, providing the evidence to balance the desires of the short-term with the consequences in the long-term. • Adaptability as an alternative to lean design for long-term carbon reductions • Upfront carbon costs of different adaptable design strategies vary significantly • Adaptability scoring relationships are non-linear and discontinuous • Determining adaptability per carbon highlights optimum target parameter values