Background: The University of Talca (UT), since 2012, has been annually tracking the carbon footprint (CF) based on the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol for all its five campuses. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the trajectory for determining the CF on campuses and identify the stressors. Methods: GHG protocol separates emissions into three scopes—1) direct; 2) indirect; 3) other indirect emissions. This study reports the emissions on the Talca campuses that are related to Scopes 1 through 3. The data is closely studied to draw inferences on the factors most affecting CF and recommend improvements. Results: The estimation of the CF in Scope 1 and Scope 2 were 2 0.03 tCO₂e and 0.25 tCO₂e per person per year, respectively. Results show Scope 3, which measures indirect emissions generated by activities like transportation of people, produced the highest contribution of 0.41 tCO₂e per person to the UT’s CF in 2016. Conclusions: The study strongly suggested that transportation of students and faculty to and from the campus is one of the main stressors. The study of the main campus of Talca to quantify the CF is of immense value to institutions of higher educations as it provides a guideline and a comparative metric for other institutions.

This paper presents a new alternative energy dissipation solution to be used with cross-laminated timber (CLT) self-centering walls. CLT is a relatively new building product in North America and could potentially be used for high-rise construction. The development of high-performance seismic design solutions is necessary to encourage innovative structures and the design of these structures to new heights. The objective of this paper is to propose a wall-to-floor connection system that is easy to install and replace (structural fuse) after the occurrence of a large damaging event. The proposed energy dissipators are fabricated following concepts used in developing steel buckling restrained steel braces (BRB), having a milled portion, which is designed to yield and is enclosed within a grouted steel pipe. The connection system is investigated experimentally through a test sequence of displacement-controlled cycles based on a modified version of the test method developed by the American Concrete Inst...

Window frame material has significant impact on the thermal performance of the window. Moreover, with sustainable design becoming a necessity, window frame materials need to have higher levels of environmental performance to be considered sustainable. As a result, a holistic performance metric is needed to assess window frame material. Three similar frames were considered, manufactured from aluminum, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and wood. First their thermal performance was evaluated and compared using a heat transfer model. Then, carbon footprints of the three materials were considered for 1m² of window area with a similar thermal performance. It was found that the thermal, as well as the environmental, performance of the wooden window frame was superior to those of aluminum and PVC. On the other hand aluminum frames had high environmental impacts and comparatively lower thermal performance. This study provides a holistic viewpoint on window frames by considering both environmental and thermal performance.

The development of cross-laminated timber (CLT) technology has opened up new opportunities for low-density hardwood species, which have traditionally not been rated as construction-grade materials for structural engineering applications. Several characteristics of CLT, namely thermal performance, seismic behavior, and speed of construction, have raised interest among designers. The CLT technology has recently been used for residential and nonresidential multistory buildings and it has been identified as one of the ways of achieving tall timber building construction. As CLT gains acceptance in the industry, low-density wood species, not specified in current ANSI standards, need to be investigated for potentially successful use in CLT panels. This paper presents a study that demonstrates the viability of a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified sustainable plantation grown low-density species, hybrid poplar (marketed as Pacific Albus), for use in performance-rated CLT panels by following the ANS...

In this study, a cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment (LCA) of Oregon-made cross-laminated timber (CLT) was conducted as per the ISO guidelines. Primary data pertaining to CLT manufacturing was collected from a production facility in Oregon and modeled with existing LCA data of Pacific Northwest softwood lumber production and harvesting operations. Primary energy is reported and encompasses all processes within the system boundary. Carbon emissions are reported and include fossil-based emissions from transportation and all production processes and carbon storage in CLT. LCA results are presented for five impact categories, primary energy consumption, and net carbon impact of CLT. Results show the environmental advantage of CLT due to storing of large amounts of biogenic carbon in a building structure for a lifetime. The amount of carbon stored in CLT offsets the emissions released from all production processes; this indicates that CLT is a net negative carbon emitter, as more carbon is stored in the product than is emitted to produce the product. This study shows the importance of using the LCA methodology for showing the net amount and type of energy used for production and the potential climatic impacts of using wood products. This LCA study makes no comparative assertions.