Research Paper: Anthony Ng
Structural engineers play a key role in how efficiently buildings are designed and delivered.
This paper explores how applying the waste hierarchy, reduce, reuse, then recycle, can improve sustainability outcomes at the design stage. It shows that reducing the amount of material used is the most effective way to improve both environmental performance and project efficiency.
Using examples aligned to Australian rating tools such as Green Star and the IS Rating Scheme, the research demonstrates that even small reductions in material use can deliver measurable improvements across multiple impact categories.
The paper also highlights the opportunity to use higher strength steel to achieve these outcomes. By improving utilisation and reducing total material volumes, engineers can support lower embodied carbon results without compromising structural performance or constructability.
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