Title:
Structural Design Workflow Supported by Environmental Metrics to Decarbonize Steel Reinforced Concrete Columns (Prepublished)
Author(s):
Cesario Tavares and Kinsey Skillen
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
cost-efficiency; environmental impacts; steel-reinforced concrete columns; structural design; sustainability
DOI:
10.14359/51751981
Date:
8/21/2026
Abstract:
A conceptual design screening workflow for reinforced concrete (RC) columns is presented to conjointly minimize raw-material cost and cradle-to-gate carbon footprint prior to reinforcement detailing. The method proposes modifications to ACI 318-19 sizing procedures to incorporate performance-based cost and environmental metrics before reinforcement detailing, thereby enabling rapid screening of candidate concrete mixtures, reinforcement ratios, and column configurations. The workflow is demonstrated on a 12-story building using 30 concrete formulations, four reinforcement ratios, three cross-sectional shapes, and two steel rebar production routes. Results show that: 1) decreasing reinforcing-steel content and the embodied carbon footprint of materials on a per-unit-volume basis does not necessarily minimize the total carbon footprint of RC columns; 2) steel reinforcement can contribute up to three times more embodied carbon than concrete; and 3) eco-efficiency exhibits a weak correlation with binder content and concrete type.