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Structure and Interior Finishes Inputs for Embodied Carbon Optimization
Structure and Interior Finishes Inputs for Embodied Carbon Optimization

Engineering inputs and embodied carbon

Patrick Chopson avatar
Written by Patrick Chopson
Updated over a week ago

Structure:

  1. Floor Decking - the spanning surface on top of the structure that can be occupied. This is a flat surface capable of supporting weight, basically a floor, but typically constructed indoors, and often elevated off of the ground.

  2. Floor Structure - the horizontal members that are holding up each floor assembly. This includes beams, concrete waffle, truss, etc.

  3. Roof Structure - the horizontal or angled members that hold up the surface material that assembles the roof. This includes roof beams, girders, roof trusses, purlins, concrete waffles, space frame structures, and any precast concrete roof beams.

  4. Support Structure - the vertical and sometimes angled members that support the horizontal structure for floors, roofs, and floor decking that transfer dead and live loads safely to the ground. This includes columns, bearing walls, mass walls, cast-in-place structure, lateral bracing, and building core walls around elevators and egress stairs.

  5. Foundation - the interface between the building and the ground. This includes footings, pilings, slab on grade, concrete stem walls, and bearing points for the elevator core.

Interior Finishes

  1. Flooring - the finish layer people walk over that is laid over the structural floor assembly. This is typically carpet, ceramic tile, stone tile, vinyl tiles, wood planks, self-leveling concrete, etc.

  2. Ceiling - the finish layer that is nonstructural. Typically covered with gypsum board, plywood, mineral board, fiber-reinforced composite, or suspended acoustic panels like ACT tiles.

  3. Interior Drywall - the vertical finish surface material applied to all interior over studs or furring. This is typically a gypsum board material and can be treated for environmental uses like sound attenuation or life safety purposes to meet fire ratings. Plaster could also be entered, here as well.

  4. Paints - the finishing coat for aesthetic or performance design. This can adjust the performance of heat, moisture, or acoustic transfer to a small degree if applied as glossy, matte, or textured finish.

  5. Fixtures + Finishes - the appliances or fixtures like lighting, cabinetry, furniture, and railings that make up the interior function and aesthetic of the building.

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