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Purpose <p>Mass timber construction is gaining attention as a low-carbon alternative to conventional building systems, but the end-of-life (EOL) stage remains one of the least consistently modeled phases in building life cycle assessments (LCAs). This study evaluates how recovery pathways and connection strategies influence the climate performance of prefabricated hollow timber floor systems.</p> Methods <p>A process-based estimation approach was used to quantify the EOL carbon footprint of two timber floor systems—Adhesive &amp; Screw and Sharp Plate &amp; Screw, following ISO 14040/44 standards. Four realistic EOL pathways (landfilling, downcycling, component reuse, and full assembly reuse) were assessed under three recovery-rate scenarios (90%, 60%, and 30%) to capture both ideal deconstruction and conventional demolition conditions. EOL impacts, biogenic carbon flows, and Stage D credits (potential environmental benefits beyond building life) were integrated to determine the EOL climate outcomes.</p> Results <p>The analysis shows that circular end-of-life pathways significantly reduce environmental impacts for both floor systems, with reuse delivering the strongest benefits. Component and assembly reuse consistently result in the lowest net emissions, driven by stable and substantially negative Stage D compensation values across all recovery rates. Mechanical fastening (sharp-plate and screw) further enhances these outcomes, enabling higher salvage quality and greater climate benefits than adhesive-based assemblies. Downcycling also provides meaningful emission reductions, and unlike earlier assumptions, remains environmentally advantageous even at low recovery rates. Break-even analysis confirms that all reuse scenarios are favorable across the full recovery range, while downcycling remains beneficial at near-zero recovery, underscoring the robustness of material circularity in mass-timber systems.</p> Conclusions <p>The findings demonstrate that reuse-oriented design, supported by reversible mechanical connections, offers clear and consistent climate advantages over recycling-only approaches. Incorporating such strategies into timber building LCAs strengthens alignment with circular economy principles and highlights the value of prioritizing high-quality material recovery in mass-timber construction.</p>

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End-of-life and beyond building life: carbon benefits of a novel Mass timber wood floor system, evaluating end-of-life strategies, recovery rates, and circular design implications

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月16日

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  • Muzan Williams Ijeoma,
  • Sovanroth Ou,
  • Amin Nabati,
  • Hao Chen,
  • Michael Stoner,
  • Patricia Layton,
  • Dustin Albright,
  • Brandon Ross,
  • Weichiang Pang,
  • Michael Carbajales-Dale

摘要

Purpose

Mass timber construction is gaining attention as a low-carbon alternative to conventional building systems, but the end-of-life (EOL) stage remains one of the least consistently modeled phases in building life cycle assessments (LCAs). This study evaluates how recovery pathways and connection strategies influence the climate performance of prefabricated hollow timber floor systems.

Methods

A process-based estimation approach was used to quantify the EOL carbon footprint of two timber floor systems—Adhesive & Screw and Sharp Plate & Screw, following ISO 14040/44 standards. Four realistic EOL pathways (landfilling, downcycling, component reuse, and full assembly reuse) were assessed under three recovery-rate scenarios (90%, 60%, and 30%) to capture both ideal deconstruction and conventional demolition conditions. EOL impacts, biogenic carbon flows, and Stage D credits (potential environmental benefits beyond building life) were integrated to determine the EOL climate outcomes.

Results

The analysis shows that circular end-of-life pathways significantly reduce environmental impacts for both floor systems, with reuse delivering the strongest benefits. Component and assembly reuse consistently result in the lowest net emissions, driven by stable and substantially negative Stage D compensation values across all recovery rates. Mechanical fastening (sharp-plate and screw) further enhances these outcomes, enabling higher salvage quality and greater climate benefits than adhesive-based assemblies. Downcycling also provides meaningful emission reductions, and unlike earlier assumptions, remains environmentally advantageous even at low recovery rates. Break-even analysis confirms that all reuse scenarios are favorable across the full recovery range, while downcycling remains beneficial at near-zero recovery, underscoring the robustness of material circularity in mass-timber systems.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate that reuse-oriented design, supported by reversible mechanical connections, offers clear and consistent climate advantages over recycling-only approaches. Incorporating such strategies into timber building LCAs strengthens alignment with circular economy principles and highlights the value of prioritizing high-quality material recovery in mass-timber construction.