CLIMATE IMPACTS OF TIMBER BUILDINGS: COMPARISON OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS
Abstract
This study assesses the life cycle climate impacts of multi-storey timber building systems based on panelized light timber-frame and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structures. For each building system, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the climate impacts associated with the production, service life, end-of-life, and post-use stages. Both static and dynamic LCA approaches were applied, with and without accounting for biogenic carbon. The findings reveal significant differences in climate impact results between the dynamic and static assessment approaches. Dynamic modelling captures the temporal effects of biogenic carbon, including delayed emissions and storage benefits that static approaches overlook. Static assessments show that the CLT building has a higher climate impact than the light timber‑frame building due to greater material mass. However, post‑use material recovery greatly reduces this impact, ultimately giving the CLT building a larger impact reduction and a lower net life cycle climate impact than the light timber‑frame building. The results show that steel contributes a significant share of the building’s climate impact during the product stage, despite representing only a small fraction of the building mass. These findings highlight the importance of material choices for connection systems in timber structures, as well as the selection of appropriate methodological approaches for accurately assessing the climate benefits of timber building systems.
Reference
Ambrose Dodoo; Bishnu Chandra Poudel. (2026). CLIMATE IMPACTS OF TIMBER BUILDINGS: COMPARISON OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS. Proceedings of International Structural Engineering and Construction. https://doi.org/10.14455/isec.2026.13(2).sus-03
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