Sustainability in the Construction Industry
The construction industry is getting greener and gradually becoming more sustainable. More and more, consumers are interested in the green credentials of the products they buy, and the buildings they occupy. In response, the construction industry is starting to adopt sustainability practices. But what does that mean for construction workers? And what challenges do they face in making their work more sustainable? In this blog post, we'll explore those questions and discuss some ways to make the construction industry more sustainable and reduce its impact on the environment.
Some of the elements we consider as considerate constructors are the over-arching qualifying metrics of the BREEAM Certification which outline official standards to adhere to across 10 areas of sustainability performance. The BREEAM standards aim to reduce harmful carbon emissions by taking into account smarter energy solutions, reducing operational pollution and using sustainable materials. In addition, it can also help us improve water usage, reduce material waste and enhance the benefits for the local wildlife all of this combined with management & innovation systems. In order to pass certification each environmental issue has a set number of 'credits' available and these credits are awarded where the building demonstrates that it complies with the requirements. We’ll cover some of the most important quantifiers that are part of the Ant Yapi planning & application process when it comes to new projects as a principal contractor.
The over-arching role of construction design management in the understanding, recognising and encouraging construction sites which are environmentally and socially considerate, responsible and in an accountable manner is the principal factor that all other elements fall under; this includes: The setting up of an EMS (environmental management system) that covers the main operations such as implementing best practice pollution prevention policies and procedures on-site; monitoring and recording data on energy consumption in kWh (and where relevant, liters of fuel used) as a result of the use of construction plant, equipment (mobile and fixed) and site accommodation; monitoring and recording data on potable water consumption (m3) arising from the use of construction plant, equipment (mobile and fixed) and site accommodation; the monitoring, recording and reporting transport data resulting from all on-site construction processes (and dedicated off-site monitoring) throughout the build programme.
We’ll first look at Energy; its consumption and management in regards to our designs and work recognising its operational energy demand, primary energy consumption and CO2 emissions, the specification of energy efficient light fittings for external areas of the development with the development boundary that is no less than 60 luminaire lumens/circuit watt and provided a manual override switch allowing manual on/auto on/off functions. All lighting was activated at dusk and deactivated at dawn culminating in the installation of energy sub-metering that facilitates the monitoring of operational energy consumption with the dole aim of reducing energy use & carbon emissions.
Next up we’ll look at water consumption with the aim of reducing consumption of potable water for sanitary use in new buildings from all sources through the use of water efficient components and water recycling systems which are then monitored through the incoming water meter connected to the Building Management System in providing digital connectivity and accurate consumption readouts.
As a top 100 construction company we are aware of the use of certain material groups, from Steel pilings to internal fit out materials such as legally harvested & traded timber that encourage the use of construction materials with a low environmental impact (including embodied carbon) over the full life cycle of the building. We specify the material build up, GGR, and area of all relevant building elements.
We’re also extremely concerned with the reduction of construction waste through a Resource Management Plan covering the non-hazardous waste related to on-site construction and dedicated offsite manufacture or fabrication (including demolition and excavation waste) generated by the building’s design and construction which ties in nicely with the ecological value of the sites and protection of ecological features that encourages development on land that already has limited value to wildlife and to protect existing ecological features from substantial damage during site preparation and completion of construction works such as the installation of bat & bird boxes on facades to protect the habitats and local ecology.
Lastly our commitment to local area traffic management as a high end residential contractor we encourage our staff to cycle to site and aid in the reduction of congestion & emissions; in order to do this we provide adequate on site provision of cycling facilities. All of these elements allow us to minimise our footprint in every respect to the construction process.
Sustainability is a broad and comprehensive term that encompasses many different aspects of construction, from energy use to land and material sourcing. By understanding sustainability and how it applies to construction, contractors can ensure that their projects have a minimal carbon footprint while also ensuring the project's long-term viability within the local community.
With thanks to Tugba Candemir.