From Cradle to Cradle: Life Cycle Thinking in the Design of Structures

Abstract While sustainability is a widely recognized concept among structural engineers, it is frequently misused. The increasing urgency to embed sustainable practices in the construction industry has amplified the use of the term, often obscuring its core purpose and undermining its credibility. This challenge is compounded by the sector's substantial environmental footprint, which underlines the critical role structural engineers play in advancing sustainable design practices. Recognizing this, sustainability principles are now integrated into major professional codes and guidelines, which call for their application across the full life cycle of buildings. Yet, translating these high‐level principles into actionable design practices remains a challenge. Structural designers require robust, transparent methods to support and validate sustainability claims with quantifiable evidence. This paper explores the pressing challenge of embedding sustainability into structural design by reviewing recent progress in practical methods and decision‐support tools, with a specific emphasis on steel structures. The contributions presented are intended to make sustainability actionable within the design workflow. Together, these developments help close the gap between overarching sustainability principles and their application in engineering practice. By anchoring sustainable design in quantifiable metrics and methodological rigor, the paper contributes to advancing a more accountable and evidence‐based approach to structural design amid increasing environmental demands.