Influence of CO₂ Emission Pricing on the Degree of Reuse in Building Projects

By 2030, CO₂ emissions must be drastically decreased to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. As a result, the modern construction sector urgently needs to transition to a circular economy. This paper investigates how pricing of CO₂ emissions at different levels impacts the viability of reuse in building projects. A recently developed design tool is used in two case studies to find appropriate reclaimed steel elements for a truss structure at Old Trafford, Manchester. Utilising optimisation algorithms, the design tool automatically proposes substitutions of elements in a designed building with reusable elements. The conducted case studies demonstrate that an increased CO₂ emission price encourages a higher utilisation of reusable elements, even considering the substantial driving distance involved in acquiring them. The results indicate that increasing the CO₂ emission price in the future will motivate the reuse of old materials in the building projects of tomorrow.