Analysis of carbon emissions reduction strategies for prefabricated buildings under cost constraints: a case study

By 2025, prefabricated buildings are projected to constitute 30% of new urban construction in China. However, current research into the assessment and mitigation strategies of the life cycle carbon emissions of prefabricated buildings is limited. In addition, a pertinent challenge is to balance the imperative of carbon reduction with the associated cost increment. This study applies a whole life cycle carbon analysis to prefabricated buildings, providing an in-depth evaluation of the effectiveness of different carbon reduction strategies. Our findings show that strategies such as material substitution, integration of renewable energy, and enhancing material recycling efficiency yield distinct carbon reduction impacts, with varying cost implications. Additionally, we address the critical balance between achieving carbon reductions and managing associated costs. Using an actual project as a case study, this paper calculates its life cycle carbon emissions and evaluates practical carbon reduction measures, offering new insights for decision-makers in designing low-carbon strategies for prefabricated buildings.