The Life Cycle Environmental Assessment of Retrofitting and Reconstruction of an Actual Substandard RC Building

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the life cycle environmental assessment of retrofitting and reconstruction of an actual substandard reinforced concrete (RC) building. For this purpose, seismic structural performance assessment of an actual 6-storey RC frame building located in Istanbul, Türkiye was carried out with respect to Turkish Building Earthquake Code TBEC (2018). Two different retrofitting approaches as RC jacketing of columns, and RC shear wall addition and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) wrapping of columns were then proposed in order to satisfy the requirements of TBEC (2018). Furthermore, structural design and calculations for reconstructing of the new building for replacement of the existing substandard building was conducted by taking into consideration of Turkish Standard for the Design and Construction of Reinforced Concrete Structures Code TS500 (2000) and TBEC (2018). The Finite Element Model (FEM) of the building and required structural analyses and assessments were carried out using ProtaStructure2022. Accordingly, the life cycle assessment was figured out by comparing the structural, environmental and economical parameters obtained for each retrofitting projects and newly designed building project. For this purpose, the Athena Impact Estimator was employed for providing insights into Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) measures for each retrofitting scenario, focusing on metrics such as Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification Potential, and Smog Potential. The results demonstrated that the performance target is achieved with the recommended retrofitting methods. In addition, the environmental impact assessment highlighted significant contributions from the manufacturing and operational phases, emphasizing the roles of material production and energy use. These findings underscore the importance of integrating sustainable practices and materials in construction to mitigate negative environmental impacts and ensure compliance with Turkish standards.