Design for Structural Adaptation: economic feasibility of an implementation for Swedish timber buildings

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Vera Öberg - , Chalmers University of Technology (Author)
  • Robert Jockwer - , Chair of Timber Engineering (Author)
  • Yutaka Goto - , Chalmers University of Technology (Author)
  • Mohammad Al-Emrani - , Chalmers University of Technology (Author)

Abstract

As the construction industry is progressively adopting circular economy principles, there is an increased interest in prolonging the service lives of buildings by designing them to be adaptable. This is particularly relevant for timber buildings, as extended-use phases promote prolonged carbon storage and sustainable forestry. Applying the concept of Design for Structural Adaptation (DfSA) to load-bearing timber may grant such benefits, yet it is uncertain whether there are motivations for stakeholders to apply the concept on an industrial scale. In particular, the economic implications of implementing DfSA for timber are currently unclear. This study addresses this uncertainty by investigating the economic feasibility of applying DfSA to a theoretical multi-residential cross-laminated timber building in Sweden. A model for comparative cost–benefit analysis was developed and applied to two alternatives: a business-as-usual building and one designed for structural adaptation. A sensitivity analysis was performed to explore the factors determining the economic feasibility of DfSA, and a best- and worst-case scenario was developed. The results showed that a low investment cost for DfSA is the most crucial factor in determining its economic feasibility.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)759-776
Number of pages18
JournalBuilding Research and Information
Volume53
Issue number6
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 11 Apr 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0003-0767-684X/work/188439640

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • cost-benefit analysis, Design for adaptation, service life extension, structural adaptability, timber structures