In search of environmental friendly structures: a comparative evaluation of steel structures and reinforced concrete structures

Abstract

The concept of sustained development, as defined in the Brundtland report in 1987 and later on endorsed in Rio Earth Summit in 1992, is a complex and dynamic challenge that demands contributions of the most diverse sectors of activity. Research works concerning direct application of this concept for most industrial activities still is needed. The implementation of sustainable development in construction industry has led to concept of sustainable construction. Hence, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach is becoming, slowly but surely, the acceptable tool for selection of construction materials and products, as well as, construction processes and design. The application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for selection of construction materials constitutes, at present, the first step in a more complex assessment of the whole life global environmental performance. However, it was found that the software available could not be used directly for the case at hand and hence it was deemed necessary to develop a simple software for this research work. This research work is an attempt for gathering the necessary data for evaluation of reinforced concrete structures and steel structures, as well as, developing a user friendly software for quick comparison of these two construction materials that are used most frequently.