Comparative Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Between a Timber-Framed House Based on Korea's Standard Design and a Concrete House with a Converted Structure

Abstract

Expanding the concept of medium-to large-scale timber buildings to public buildings and securing data on the environmental benefits of timber construction are necessary for its recognition as a green building. This study aimed to compare the greenhouse gas emissions over the entire life cycle of a timber-framed house based on a standard Korean design and a concrete house designed by converting a timber-framed house. Timber structures reduced greenhouse gas emissions relative to concrete structures, and this effect became more pronounced as the building size increased. Although the largest environmental impact over a building's entire life cycle occurred during the use phase, a significant difference based on the structure was found in the material production phase. The wood structure was found to emit approximately 43 to 50% less greenhouse gas than the concrete structure during the material production phase. The difference in total emissions was the highest in the largest-scale model, at 52.6 tCO₂, showing the greatest effect when a concrete house was replaced with a wooden house. These results can be attributed to the low embodied carbon content of wood and its ability to store carbon ranging from 21 to 34 tCO₂, which delays greenhouse gas emissions.