Minimizing Rebar Consumption: A Decarbonization Strategy for the Civil and Construction Industry

Daniel Darma Widjaja, Titi Sari Nurul Rachmawati and Sunkuk Kim ()
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Daniel Darma Widjaja: Department of Architectural Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si 17104, Republic of Korea
Titi Sari Nurul Rachmawati: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia
Sunkuk Kim: Department of R&D, Earth Turbine Co., Ltd., Daegu 41057, Republic of Korea

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: The growing demand for reinforced concrete (RC) structures, driven by population growth, significantly contributes to carbon emissions, particularly during the construction phase. Steel rebar production, a major contributor to these emissions, faces challenges due to high material consumption and waste, often stemming from market-length rebar and conventional lap splices, impeding decarbonization efforts. This study introduces a comprehensive strategy to minimize rebar consumption and waste, advancing decarbonization in the civil and construction industry. The strategy integrates a special-length-priority minimization algorithm with lap splice position adjustments or couplers to reduce rebar consumption, waste, and carbon emissions. A case study evaluates distinct scenarios regarding rebar consumption. The study demonstrates that conventional rebar practices, such as market-length rebar and lap splices, lead to excessive consumption and waste, impeding decarbonization. Couplers significantly reduce rebar requirements, though cutting waste remains when combined with market-length rebar. Special-length-priority optimization with lap splice adjustments demonstrates greater efficiency in reducing consumption while minimizing cutting waste, proving effectiveness. The combination of special-length-priority optimization and couplers achieves the greatest reductions in rebar consumption, waste, and carbon emissions, making it the most efficient strategy for future construction projects. These findings emphasize the importance of optimizing rebar consumption in advancing decarbonization and promoting sustainable practices in the civil and construction industry.

Keywords: decarbonization; rebar consumption minimization; carbon emissions reduction; special-length rebar; couplers; reinforced concrete; sustainable construction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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