Mass Timber Embodied Carbon Connections Parametric Design Space Exploration
Abstract:
While full LCA studies of mass timber buildings quantify the embodied carbon (EC) of
every individual component, some of these components have significant variability in early
design when their characteristics are unknown. Consequently, many early design tools omit the
contribution of structural connections. To address this gap in early design analysis of EC, this
research investigates the EC impact of connections relative to the total gravity structural system.
An interior bay of the gravity system provided the framework for analysis across both case study reviews
and the development of parametrically driven design spaces for both mass timber systems and steel
systems. When looking at mass timber beam to girder pre-engineered connections, they account for an
average of 0.43 lbs CO2 / sqft. When including column connections and deck fasteners, connections are
found to account for up to 40% of the total gravity system EC. Accounting for mass timber connections
during LCA studies can be significantly more relevant as compared to more traditional system types when
considering the EC contributions.
