Going green on a construction project is not only good for the environment, but also for your reputation, efficiency, and profitability. However, it can also pose some challenges and require careful planning and execution. In this article, we will explore some of the best practices and tips to make your construction project more sustainable and eco-friendly.
The first step to go green on a construction project is to assess your current environmental impact and identify areas for improvement. You can use tools like the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) or the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to measure the carbon footprint, energy consumption, water use, and waste generation of your project. These tools can help you compare different materials, methods, and designs and choose the ones that have the lowest environmental impact.
Go Green -We hear this as part of our Environmental friendly construction works. Actions for Going Green varies from geographical locations depending on the environmental conditions . So understanding the environments and plan the best suitable solutions The Most common and basic step for this initiative is to go digital by reducing the unwanted paperwork.
Common sense approach. Minimize your trips to the landfill. Most materials you encounter have recycle value. Concrete, asphalt, wood waste, etc. If your project is short or long on dirt, take the extra time to find a dirt partner. Minimize your dirt hauls to reduce emissions, truck traffic and impacts to local roadways.
You can easily go green in construction by decarbonizing the main construction process through key points: 1. Using eco-friendly building materials to reduce the carbon footprint. 2. Create energy-efficient designs that maximize natural lighting, ventilation, and insulation and use clean energy like solar panels. 3. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle your construction waste. 4. Increase the green landscapes in your site, and preserve the surrounding natural habitats. 5. Try to use an electric transportation system. By adhering to these tactics, the construction industry can make significant strides towards a greener and more sustainable future.
The easiest way to go green and enhance the energy efficiency of building is to build with less glass, replacing the glass with energy efficient opaque walls. Glass is an extremely poor insulator. The days of floor to ceiling glass skyscrapers should be numbered. By simply reducing the amount of glass on a building you can have the greatest impact on the overall energy efficiency of the buildings.
I can understand that the LCA and EPD significantly minimize the building's carbon footprint on nature. Still, when speaking specifically about the construction activities on site, waste management is the 1st initiative that comes to my mind. Construction creates an estimated third of the world's overall waste, and most of this waste goes to landfill without any recycling.! I believe that one of the most critical actions that will make our construction go green is to recycle the waste generated with a minimum of 50%, With this percentage, we can estimate that construction creates only 10-15 % of the world's overall waste.
The second step to go green on a construction project is to choose green materials that are durable, recyclable, renewable, and low in emissions. For example, you can opt for wood, bamboo, hemp, or straw instead of concrete, steel, or plastic. You can also look for materials that have certifications like LEED, BREEAM, or Green Seal that indicate their environmental performance and quality. Additionally, you can source your materials locally or from suppliers that have green policies and practices.
1.Use energy-efficient windows and insulation materials. 2.Consider renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines. 3.Material Selection: Choose sustainable and locally sourced materials to reduce transportation emissions. 4.Monitoring and Analysis: Use Building Management Systems (BMS) to monitor and optimize energy usage. 5..Education and Training: Educate construction workers, contractors, and project managers about green practices and their benefits. 6.Certifications and Standards: Follow guidelines and best practices set by environmental agencies and organizations.
Online Disputes resolution (ODR) - a green initiative! With the elimination of paper submission and minimal commuting, ODR plays key role in optimisation of emission and truly a green initiative!
In addition to thoughtful material selection, proper detailing is essential for assemblies and materials to deliver their green objectives. Key concepts here include: -Protect sensitive materials from moisture (from bulk water, moisture latent air transport, and vapor) - Control air (which requires meticulous detailing and installation of multiple enclosure assemblies to provide a whole building air control layer) - Align thermal planes to prevent shorts that will bypass your insulation and high-performing window assemblies. - Remember to learn from history - building orientation, shading, and other traditional design principles persisted for good reason.
It will be very valuable to combine green design with ?re safety so that they can promote each other than destroy. For example, the aforementioned ?re extinguishing system consumes a large amount of water resources that can be incorporated into green design and ?re safety by combining grey water and rainwater reuse systems with a fire sprinkler system. This is consistent with the design of the waterway-connected sprinkler system. It has an economical, safe, and green design, which is a practical and feasible way to implement it.
While sourcing of green certified materials is a good option these often raise the cost of construction and unless directed by the owner can render winning projects a challenge. In order to provide immediate and long lasting benefits to the environment we have to build the foundation and culture of the idea of being green conscious. We can do that by building our company with environmentally efficient equipment that has proven efficiencies, longevity, reduced emissions and keep them well maintained. I would employ a dedicated Green Czar to serve as a Stuart for the companies environmentally efforts. Policing oneself shows dedication to the world.
The third step to go green on a construction project is to reduce waste and emissions that result from your activities. You can do this by implementing waste management plans, recycling and reusing materials, and minimizing packaging and transportation. You can also use energy-efficient equipment, vehicles, and lighting, and adopt renewable energy sources like solar, wind, or hydro. Furthermore, you can monitor and control your air quality, noise, and dust levels and comply with the relevant regulations and standards.
As the world transitions towards a zero-carbon future, the role of structural engineering in sustainable construction becomes increasingly vital. By embracing circular economy principles, sustainable design strategies & green material choices, the industry can significantly reduce its environmental impact. Reusing existing structures by structural integrity assessments & retrofitting for repurposing enable the transformation of the built environment. The "build less" approach minimizes new construction, optimizing resource utilization. The future of buildings & infrastructure can be shaped by innovative technologies, sustainable materials & commitment to achieve zero carbon emissions by creating sustainable & resilient built environment.
Fire analysis must be done in all Building's and it suppose to extract the below information , it will assist to keep it Green . 1- 38% of fires were likely caused by hot or hazardous materials and items in wastes accepted at sites, such as hot ashes, lithium, vehicle and other batteries, gas cylinders, flammable liquids, aerosols etc 2- 25% of fires were likely caused by self-heating, both in waste reception and storage 3- 5% were likely caused by hot surfaces, 8% by electrical faults, 7% by hot-works such as welding and grinding and 10% by friction 4- The remaining fires were caused by a variety of other smaller likely causes
The construction industry highly depends on the resources directly exploited by the earth. Those resources are mined in a very environmentally damaged manner, e.g., quarry operations for gravel and metal, etc. If we transform the conventional construction industry into an eco-friendly one, we must start with resource mining first.
3) Get your office space lighting over to LED and get the lighting temperature to 3000K. 4000K and up are best for production areas and research spaces. The human eye needs less of this recent phenomena of blue light over stimulation. Better quality employee sleep reduces unnecessary "high carbon" mistakes made by lack of sleep. 5) Move all computer room/data center HVAC to high efficiency heat split heat pumps. Computers don't need fresh air. 6) HVAC is a carbon footprint monster, but I'm not mechanical so I don't want to post unqualified advice. Defiantly have LEED certified mechanical engineers give your building's entire HVAC a good hard look. 7) Automated dimming control of all interior lighting-Maximize the management of sunlight
The fourth step to go green on a construction project is to optimize your design to enhance the energy efficiency, water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality of your building. You can use strategies like passive solar design, natural ventilation, daylighting, insulation, and green roofs to reduce the heating, cooling, and lighting needs of your building. You can also install water-saving fixtures, rainwater harvesting systems, and low-flow toilets to conserve water. Moreover, you can use materials and paints that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and avoid toxic substances that can harm the health and comfort of your occupants.
This is proof that going Green starts at the basic level and requires commitments from every discipline. From choosing the site, committing to be aggressive by the developers and directing the design team to be vigilant and provide environmental designs and specified materials. But it has to go beyond that and require all contractors, tradesmen, AHJ’s and the adjacent communities to begin each day with three goals, be the safest project, be the cleanest project, and choose the right options rather then the quickest options.
In the UK context, innovative solutions for improving energy efficiency, water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality in construction projects not only have environmental benefits but also bring advantages to the end users. While these innovative approaches may require an upfront investment, their long-term benefits make them a cost-effective option. Although there may be a significant down payment involved in incorporating these innovative solutions, the long-term advantages of lower energy usage, water preservation, and enhanced indoor air quality make them a sustainable and financially wise choice for the end users.
Certainly engineered "low carbon footprint and green conceptual thinking from the very beginning is the way to go $$ wise as opposed to retrofitting an operational system. Just don't fall into the trap where you can't justify the $$ return on the owner/builder's investment. "Saving the environment" isn't really a strong selling point on its own. Cost savings that give you greener results will defiantly get you where you want to go. Also leave physical room in your designs for implanting green technology advancements that don't exist yet. One such advancement is electrical load shedding by high efficiency LI-ion battery arrays. While extremely expensive now, adding the additional steel to your structure for future support of LI Batts is not.
I agree with others; optimization begins early and includes the entire team. Important decisions (like massing, orientation, etc.) made at the very beginning of the process are critical to overall building performance; I have yet to experience this discussion happening too early!
The fifth step to go green on a construction project is to educate your team about the benefits and practices of green construction. You can provide training, workshops, and resources to your staff, contractors, and subcontractors to raise their awareness and skills on sustainability issues and solutions. You can also create a culture of environmental responsibility and accountability by setting goals, incentives, and feedback mechanisms. Additionally, you can communicate your green vision and values to your clients, stakeholders, and community and showcase your achievements and impacts.
This is the best and most efficient option to go Green. When everyone is thinking alike and encouraged to share new ideas it will multiply the efficiency exponentially and reduce the cost to implement good practices.
Lots of little things can really make a difference. Sustainability is about lots of things undertaken efficiently and with lower noise and dust levels both during construction and after the work is completed. If you final building or railway is much quieter you would have already had to use various sustainable products to achieve that outcome.
There are currently several projects in the construction industry that are focused on sustainability. The future standards and codes will align with the industry guides and best practices. During the planning and design stage, there is an opportunity to reduce the amount of carbon materials. During construction, it is also possible to reduce the amount of materials or use alternatives in some circumstances, as long as it is safer and reasonably practicable. However, specific sustainability best practices and lessons learned registers are not widely shared within the industry. To address this issue, industry stakeholders should create a platform or database where these best practices and lessons learned can be shared with others.
The sixth step to go green on a construction project is to evaluate your results and measure your performance and improvement. You can use tools like the Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) or the Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) to collect data and feedback on the energy use, water use, waste generation, and occupant satisfaction of your building. These tools can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your project and provide recommendations for future improvements. You can also use certifications like LEED, BREEAM, or Green Star to validate your green credentials and gain recognition and credibility.
If you dont measure you cannot find out how you are progressing. Base line your projects and set KPIs for sustainable performance
I agree with others; measurement and performance verification are essential. I would love to see even more information more broadly accessible to the industry on actual in-service performance.
If you want to go green you have to first of all respect green and the wildness. Adjust the design, orientation, materials used, in accordance to what you have around you so that you adapt the needs to the environment and not the environment to your needs. Try to adjust the design so that the building does not need or consume energy. We respect the environment because without it there is no existence of the human race but be aware because the environment will exist even though human race will be destroyed. So it is not a matter of being known or recognised or whatever it is a matter of survival.
Another way to go green is to fully employ BIM in design and construction process. It helps minimizing waste and optimize material usage.
A solid project plan is the foundation for green construction work in construction management. The majority of construction wastes result from projects that were abandoned due to inadequate project planning and coordination. It is worthwhile to invest more time and energy in planning and coordination because they can both help to streamline the program and cut down on construction waste.
All the actions, as enumerated, can not be implemented for 100% reduction of carbon emission and so, in addition to the above actions, go for mass plantation and the extent shall be such that the carbon emission is nullified by its utilisation by the plants and oxygen release to atmosphere. We must preserve the plants to grow into big trees.
Dont break ground until you have ensured your design and specifications will achieve a higher sustainable outcome. This also includes a KPI around what we call value engineering. The cheapest price isnt often the best outcome especially if the life of the product is significantly shorter and can't be recycled at the end of its life and instead has to be put in land fill