Original Article

Life cycle assessment of carbon emissions in steel and concrete factory buildings

¹ Fujian Huanan female, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
² State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

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Received: 31 March 2025
Accepted: 21 August 2025

Abstract

In the context of the escalating global emphasis on carbon neutrality, building carbon emissions are receiving more and more attention. This study utilizes a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the carbon emissions of steel and concrete factory buildings. The results indicate that the carbon emission intensity for the concrete structure building is 2244.7 kg CO₂/m², while for the steel structure building it is 2051.3 kg CO₂/m². Analysis across diverse life-cycle stages revealed that, in both types of buildings, the majority of carbon emissions originate from the product and utilization phases. The carbon emission intensity in the product stage for the concrete and steel structure buildings is 518.1 kg CO₂/m² and 269.1 kg CO₂/m², respectively, while in the use stage, the emissions are 1714.2 kg CO₂/m² for the concrete structure and 1776.0 kg CO₂/m² for the steel structure. Sensitivity analysis identifies electricity consumption and heating as the most influential carbon emission factors, which also process the greatest potential for emission reductions. Consequently, targeted carbon emission control measures for both building types should focus primarily on improving energy efficiency in the use stage, particularly in electricity consumption and heating. This study provides valuable insights for evaluating and reducing the carbon footprint of factory buildings.