Exploring the Impact of Span Length on Environmental Performance: A Comparative Study

Giovanni Perrucci and Dario Trabucco ()
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Giovanni Perrucci: Department of Architecture and Arts, Iuav University of Venice, 30135 Venice, Italy
Dario Trabucco: Department of Architecture and Arts, Iuav University of Venice, 30135 Venice, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-21

Abstract: Architects and building designers are pivotal in mitigating climate change by shaping the environmental footprint of buildings from their inception, with life cycle assessment (LCA) serving as a crucial tool for quantifying these impacts. Given that structural systems contribute significantly to embodied carbon, accounting for approximately 24% of a building’s life cycle emissions, this research investigates the relationship between structural span length—a key design factor influencing material choices and construction methods—and overall environmental performance. Through a scenario-based analysis employing building information modeling (BIM) and whole building life cycle assessment (WBLCA) tools, this study evaluates various building configurations to reveal that in long-span scenarios, steel demonstrates a lower environmental impact compared to timber. This finding offers a novel, quantifiable insight for architects and designers to assess and optimize building designs, particularly in the context of emerging architectural trends featuring longer spans, ultimately contributing to more sustainable building practices.

Keywords: LCA; life cycle assessment; GWP; global warming potential; embodied carbon; structural span; steel; timber (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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