GAB Report library
Life Cycle Assessment
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Mass Timber Cuts Upfront Carbon by Half at Denver Burwell Center
A comparative life cycle study of the University of Denver Burwell Center demonstrates that mass timber cut upfront embodied carbon by approximately 50 percent compared to a steel baseline. By eliminating secondary finishes and accelerating erection by six weeks, the team kept the net cost variance within five dollars per square foot.
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New Carbon Accounting Rules Open Public Bids to Salvaged Materials
Public procurement rules increasingly require certified environmental product declarations, yet lack of standards has locked salvaged materials out of major bids. New guidance from the Carbon Leadership Forum establishes life cycle modeling rules, allowing reclaimed steel, lumber, and brick to earn third-party verification and compete directly against virgin products.
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Industrial Upgrades Alone Cannot Meet US Embodied Carbon Targets
A national modeling study benchmarks upfront emissions across 30 construction materials through 2050, finding that industrial clean technology cannot hit climate targets without immediate, aggressive reductions in design-side material demand across buildings and infrastructure.