Carbon fiber is hailed as the wonder component. It is extremely lightweight and strong. It also resists corrosion and heat. It has been used for spacecraft, air craft and car bodies. Now it is being used in buildings.
However according to an article in the Journal of the AIA by Blaine Brownell carbon fiber is very expensive material environmentally. Its main components are petroleum by products and it takes more energy to produce than steel. It also produces 20 tons of carbon dioxide for every ton of carbon fiber produced. Therefore architects and designers need to take into account the environmental cost and see if it is balanced out by any environmental savings in the lifespan of the building or object.
Here is a link to the article in Architect Magazine from the AIA:
https://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/is-carbon-fiber-all-it-cracked-up-to-be_o
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