Framing the future---practical applications for structural sustainability.

摘要

A structural engineer plays an important role in the design and construction of a building. However, with sustainability moving to the forefront of the design field as a major concern and priority, the structural engineer needs to initiate sustainable practices in their design. Testing of new materials takes time to research and additional time to place it into codes, standards, and everyday practice. The additional cost to construct with a new building material is also a factor and may end up value engineering itself out of the design. What practice approach can a structural engineer take to begin to design a structure more sustainably? Investigating alternate framing methods is an advance toward reducing the amount of materials used on a project overall, which in turn will reduce the amount of carbon emissions, lower the cost, and potentially increase thermal breaks and interior space, among other things. This thesis will evaluate three different heights of steel structures, utilizing three different framing methods, two conventionally framed (moment resisting and concentric braced) and one less conventional (diagrid), to determine if one of the framing methods is more sustainable than the others, or if there will be approaches the structural engineer can take to implement sustainable practices in their design.