Green Building Construction

Energy Efficient Technologies in Buildings

Green Building Construction also known as sustainable building is an energy efficient building technology that is founded on a plan that enhances the efficiency of saving not only energy but also building materials and water. Sustainable building helps to promote the well being of the residents by providing a healthy and safe living and working environment. Over the years, the construction of commercial buildings has had massive impact on the environment; it not requires large quantities of energy and resources but also leads to the production of dangerous atmospheric emissions that cause environmental pollution.

Owing to the increasing demand for buildings to accommodate the enormously growing businesses and population as well as having in mind the imminent risk of global warming, construction engineers and architect have come up with new building technologies that would render both residential and commercial buildings less harmful to the environment.  As an energy efficient building technology, sustainable building has been instituted to solve major environmental problems (Johnsons Control, 2012).

Lately, several residential and commercial buildings have been switching to energy efficient technologies which according to Kibert (2008) are both cost efficient and save on the environment. Such technologies comprise of solar and wind energy among other sources of energy that will not destroy the environment. Statistics from a research carried out by Bauer (2009) on sustainable building revealed that commercial buildings are known to account for over 68% electricity consumption much of which is used to heat and ventilate a building. Furthermore, Bauer defines a sustainable building technology as the one that should several architectural and design strategies, which deal with the energy conservation in terms of air conditioning and cooling, ventilation as well as passive solar heating.

Global warming is a serious crisis that is greatly affecting the world. In order to reverse or end this menace, the society must take proactive measures, such as learning to adjust what they use in order to be less dangerous to the environment. Constructing “green” buildings would significantly solve this problem. There exists several ways of averting environmental degradation and additional ways are being embraced daily. As these fresh developments crop up, the returns associated with embracing green building becomes more evident and reasonable for the consumer (Projects by Students for Students, 2012).

Both fresh and innovative developments have been made in the engineering field with the aim of helping protect and save the environment. It is imperative for each and every person to be to be cognizant of energy consumption, owing to the detrimental effects of global warming. While the implementation green building construction may be associated with huge capital outlays, new construction developments have been linked to cost-effective solutions. Although green “engineering” and sustainable building has been on the media spotlight lately, the technology is however as old as civilization itself. Solar energy is definitely the most popular form of energy conservation.

Green Building Construction
Green Building Construction

Solar panels have been known to decrease the consumption of energy in several commercial buildings through the production of alternate energy from the sun. However, as ideal as the solar power might be, the technology is only restricted to places that receive direct sunlight every single day in a year. The Kurilpa Bridge at Brisbane provides a perfect example of how solar energy has been implemented to cut on cost and reduce pollution. Equipped with 85 solar panels, the sun is able to account for over 85 percent of the bridge’s energy needs as well as eliminate annual carbon emissions by over 39 tonnes (Esagawa, 2003).

Apart from the significant solar energy, other technologies that offer sustainable developments have been cropping up. For instance, wind is considered as a major source of energy. The major reason why wind turbines are being preferred is because it is an efficient and cleaner way of generating electricity. Actually wind turbines do not need any fossil fuels to produce any sort of electricity and is fully reliant on the wind. This guarantees that there are no carbon emissions. As the winner of the prestigious LEAF “Best use of Technology” award, the 240 meters tall Bahrain world trade center has beaten them all to be the best striking model for green building. The commercial building has massive wind turbines that generate electricity for the mega building. Definitely, Bahrain world trade center strikes out as the best environmental friendly building in the world.

In addition, the use natural light as an energy efficient technology has been greatly embraced by new large commercial buildings. Modern eco-friendly building is being designed with several windows and skylights so as to tap natural light deep into the structure. This saves on energy as artificial lights are made to turn off once there is sufficient amount of natural light. This technology has been implanted by the California Academy of Sciences at golden gate park in San Francisco. The corporate office at Luck Stone in Goochland is another building that has fully implemented the use of natural light. The building has several skylights and windows allow natural light.

Green Building Construction

Green and sustainable construction may be realized through the various choices of building material. While non-renewable materials rapidly deplete the environment, opting for renewable resources to build is significantly decreases the amount of pollution related to construction as well as slows the exhaustion of non-renewable resources. In addition, the use of renewable building materials is economically viable, environmental friendly and energy efficient. However, it would even be greener, not to cite cost-effective, to renovate an already existing building as opposed to constructing a new one. This would save the ecosystem by avoiding the production of all new materials (Kibert, 2008).

Despite the fact that most green engineering methods give back to the environment by lowering the amount of energy used, a number of techniques usually support the local habitat more directly. For instance, the use of green roofs is becoming more successful and efficient. A green roof is made up of a layer of soil and vegetation and is beneficial to the building in several ways. Most important is that the runoff water from the top of a green roof drains cleaner as compared to before it hit the roof.

Furthermore, green roofs provide great insulation by blocking out the scorching sun during the hot seasons such as summer, or preventing the heat from escaping the building in the winter. Since their inception more than five years ago, Green roofs been implemented in major large commercial buildings. For instance, Sun Trust Bank in Richmond transformed the top of a four-story building to a lovely 11,800-square-foot ‘green roof,’ complete with drought-resistant plants that absorb storm water and guzzle carbon dioxide (Bauer, 2003).

One technique that is still developing is the conservation of clean hot or cold air. The California Academy of Sciences building has vents that open on the domes to let out hot air as well as motorized windows to let in cool air. While this can control the temperature in a building efficiently, air quality is just as important, “since, on average, people spend 80-90% of their time in buildings” (Bauer, 2003). There is a constant battle between keeping a constant temperature while using the least amount of energy and keeping the air fresh. Most home heating and air conditioning systems advertise providing accurate temperature control as well as filtering mold, moisture, dust, and pollen. There is not yet technology that can meet the same standards while using much less energy.

Although present day practices in green building construction are important, the real success lies with the future. The future is what will transform the entire world into a place that is self-constructive, rather than destructive. Even more beneficial than new technologies arising is the improving of existing technologies to make them greener, more user friendly, and more cost efficient. Geothermal heating and cooling and water conservation techniques appear to be some technologies that will be making major steps to improvement in the near future.

Regulations influence people’s lives, whether those individuals desire to abide by them or not; however, is it feasible to be inspired sufficiently to a point where regulations are not required. This is a fact that engineers and investors argue over. There are not at present numerous compulsory laws and policies to guide people in green building structure, but the intensity are escalating. The verdict to make a structure “bright green” is frequently a responsibility of the engineers and architects of the structure. Occasionally, it may basically amount to paying additional finances for the structure upfront so as to publicize that a structure is “green,” but there are numerous unknown profits that can be disregarded at the outset (Kibert, 2008).

There are presently numerous structures of authorization in existence these days that support green building, and that is what the majority of them do– they support green building, as in opposition to authorizing it. The major one of these is the Leaders in Engineering and Environmental Development (LEED), qualifications. Numerous structures at present are determined to acquire one of the little types of LEED qualifications.

70% of latest LEED qualified structures fit into the latest building or main repairs group. With every range of qualifications, there come diverse stages: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each of the stages of qualifications would achieve the recognized structure recognition in addition to the evident ecological and financial payback. As declared on the LEED website, “LEED is a third-party qualifications curriculum and the nationwide acknowledged standard for the blueprint, construction and operation of high performance green buildings” (2008).

A LEED certification is broadly cherished, creating support and speeding up of the implementation of green structure methods. LEED ventures are endorsed by central and national public structures. There are as well LEED structures in 41 diverse nations (2008). The qualifications of a LEED qualification for a new structure are founded off of six groups: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process (Kibert, 2008).

Green building construction is quickly growing in both importance and popularity. There are several businesses that are taking benefiting out of this, whereas at the same time cheering for more change. These are the kind of companies that deal with green products, involve themselves in environmental activities, and encourage the consumer to go green. Uncertainly, it is evident that we must embrace change quickly so that we may avert the environmental catastrophe that is about to condemn our country.

Individuals will have to amend their way of life in order to overturn the damage that has already been done. Besides saving the environment, the emerging intelligence of green building construction and engineering will help consumers save money by cutting down the rate of energy consumption. As soon as fresh technologies are invented, there is a steady development of that technology until it has been perfected, making it inexpensive and user friendly. If people were to exploit these advances as they open up and are confirmed sustainable, at that moment they will be following the road that guides back to a healthy successful earth on top of money in their wallet.

References

Bauer, M. (2009). Green Building: A Book for Sustainable Architecture. London: Springer.

Esagawa, T. (2003). Environmentally Sustainable Buildings: Challenges and Policies. New York: OECD.

Kibert, C. (2008). Sustainable Construction: A Green Building Delivery and Design. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Johnsons Controls. (2012). make you Buildings Work: More Efficiently, Sustainably and Profitably.

Projects by Students for Students. (2012). Energy Sources.

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Waste Reduction UK Construction

Challenges of Encouraging Waste Reduction within the UK Construction Industry: An Investigation into Material Waste and Profitability

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Over the years the construction industry has changed and this has resulted in increased production rates, changes in construction techniques and total quantities of materials used each year. The size of construction projects are now considerably much larger than they ever were. All of this has resulted increased demand for materials which has resulted in increased waste. The UK construction industry as a whole uses over 400 million tonnes of natural resources per year of which 60 million tonnes is sent to landfill. This is a significant concern due to the fact that millions of pounds are being lost each year. In order to save money in construction projects and increase profits, wastage must be reduced. This paper has identified the three main areas where material wastage is produced. Within these areas the client, architect and contractor have been identified to have a pivotal role in reduction methods. Reduction methods have been assessed to identify the most effective way in which to apply waste minimization within the UK’s built environment.

Waste Reduction UK Construction
Waste Reduction UK Construction

The aim of the dissertation is to identify what stage within the project lifecycle material waste is created and analyse methods available that may be effective in reducing waste and saving money. The author will attempt to answer the hypothesis question through conducting a literature review, analyzing a questionnaire and reviewing case studies. The findings will then be compared and contrasted to find how to reduce material wastage and at what stage in the project will it be most effective.

Dissertation Objectives

  • To determine what stage of a construction project material waste is created
  • To establish how wastage adds to project costs
  • To evaluate the measures that can be applied to reduce material wastage

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BREEAM Construction Dissertation

Do Environmental Assessment Methods Influence the Client’s Design Choices?

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Environmental assessment methods such as BREEAM were launched in the UK in the early 1990’s, to encourage clients of the construction industry to consider both the internal and external environment when designing new build and refurbishment construction projects. Do these assessment methodologies actually influence clients design choices, or are there other factors that need to be considered? Different professions within the design team appear to have contrasting views on the success that BREEAM has had in improving the quality of our buildings and their surroundings. Interviewing seven design team members provided a sound base on which to assess the impact BREEAM has and is having on clients of the construction industry. Of the design team members interviewed, those employed by clients in the public sector were very familiar with BREEAM and its assessment methodology, with the exception of the local authority architects who suggested that they would only apply the methodology when forced to do so. They were unconvinced of the assessments merits and preferred to use their own assessment guidelines, despite recommendations by central government to use BREEAM. Those design team members employed in the private sector had limited or no knowledge of BREEAM or other assessment methodologies. The results indicate that public sector clients who are bound by government instruction are employing BREEAM on many of their projects. In situations where clients have a choice, cost is still the bottom line that determines whether sustainable solutions are agreed. The fragmented nature of the construction industry has hindered the knowledge transfer of sustainable issues to professionals, which appears to have arrested the adoption of BREEAM.

BREEAM Dissertation
BREEAM Dissertation

BREEAM Influences

The aim of this research is to assess how BREEAM influences the design solutions and the workings of the design team process, on new build and refurbishment construction projects. There are two hypotheses that answer the main aim of this dissertation:

  1. BREEAM adds confusion and complexity to the design team process.
  2. Knowledge of BREEAM among construction professionals is limited as a result of its voluntary nature, and the fragmented characteristics of a construction industry with an inherent resistance to change.

In line with the above quote, more organisations are procuring green commercial buildings. The idea of having an assessment methodology encouraging clients of the construction industry to think about the impact that their new project will have on the environment, is essentially a good idea. In a world that is becoming increasingly concerned about its future it is important that clients and design team professionals can use these assessments to measure buildings’ specific environmental qualities. However, these tools are only useful if knowledge of their application is widely available and communicated to all those that require it and in a format that is straightforward and easily understood. There are a number of environmental assessment methods in use. However, in line with the above quote, this study will concentrate on BREEAM as it is considered to be the most familiar with clients and construction professionals. But, despite the sentiments of the above quote, it is unclear whether BREEAM has had a major impact on the construction industry and its clients. This dissertation aims to establish through qualitative research whether environmental assessment methods such as BREEAM are as influential as envisaged. It will address how BREEAM integrates itself into an already complex design process, within an industry that has inherent communication problems. The research will also examine other factors influencing clients’ decision-making processes, and establish how effective BREEAM is in the pursuit of sustainable practice.

I do hope enjoyed reading this post on environmental assessment methods and client decision making. There are many other titles available in the Construction Dissertation Collection that should be of interest to construction management students and building professional. There are many dissertation titles that relate to other aspects of construction such as project management techniques, environmental management, building and construction methods to name a few. It took a lot of time to write this post and I would be grateful if you could share this post via Facebook and Twitter. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section. Thank you.

New Rules of Measurement Construction

The Deployment and Utilization of New Rules of Measurement within Quantity Surveying

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The construction industry has always been viewed as being the last to adopt modern technology and methods compared with other industries. The need for major change in the industry is abundantly clear as many projects in recent years have been going over budget and clients have not been satisfied with the work. This has been down to new developments in construction technology and materials. Quantity surveyors have tried to use traditional methods to price and measure these new techniques but it has been proven that the current SMM were not adequate to do so. The creation of the New Rules of Measurement aims to change all of this and provide the client with great cost accuracy on modern projects from start to finish. This dissertation aims to analyze the impact the New Rules of Measurement have had in QS firms and whether they are being used effectively by firms that have currently adopted them. The opinions and experiences of current Quantity Surveyors have been gathered by reviewing literature on NRM and by conducting interviews with quantity surveyors from the contracting and consultancy side of the profession. The general feeling in the industry is that quantity surveyors are not utilizing the NRM to its full potential and there are various reasons why this is.

New Rules of Measurement Dissertation
New Rules of Measurement Dissertation

Many professionals in the construction industry are against change and tend to have the opinion of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” in regards to the current measurement rules they use (SMM7). Companies have a lack of spare capital to invest in new methods and training. As the full set of documents has not been released people are unwilling to integrate an uncompleted document into their work. A lack of guidance and information from the RICS has also been to blame. The aim of this dissertation is to analyze how NRM is being used in the UK industry by QS professionals and to evaluate whether it is being utilized to its full potential and if it is providing effective cost certainty on construction projects.

Dissertation Objectives

  • Analyze the issues that quantity surveyors have encountered in the industry with measurement and costing.
  • Compare NRM with SMM7 and how NRM can address issues arising from the use of SMM7.
  • Evaluate whether NRM has had a noticeable impact on the UK QS profession since its release.
  • Evaluate the problems that quantity surveyors may incur when trying to implement NRM into their everyday work and why some are against using it in the UK industry.

I do hope you enjoyed reading this post on new rules of measurement and how it affects the UK construction industry. There are many other titles available in the construction dissertation collection that should be of interest to construction management students and building professionals. There are many dissertation titles that relate to other aspects of construction such as project management techniques, environmental management, building and construction methods to name a few. It took a lot of time to write this post and I would be grateful if you could share this post via Facebook and Twitter. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section. Thank you.

Construction Act Dissertation

Factors Which Affect Adjudication within the Construction Industry after the Introduction of New Legislation to the Construction Act

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The Housing Grants Regeneration and Construction Act (1996) introduced statutory adjudication within construction contracts as a cheap and less expensive process of settling disputes which can occur during the lifespan of a project, particularly with regards to monetary disputes. The main aim of adjudication, amongst others, was to create a fairer payment system and improve the cash flow of contractors. This enabled works to continue on-site without time delays to the contract. If a dispute occurs during the life of a project either party has the right to adjudication, where the result is final, pending both parties agreement. The adjudicator’s decision is enforceable and the courts have shown their support in cases of appeal where the judge has honored the adjudicator’s original award, even if the adjudicator’s decision was wrong or there is an obvious clerical error the decision.

This can lead to injustices in adjudication cases, injustices can also be seen in the adjudication process through ambush tactics, which the referring party can use as a tactical advantage against the responding party. The parties have the option to escalate the dispute to arbitration or litigation if they not agree with the adjudicator nevertheless these are expensive and lengthy process. Adjudication is not without its critics especially as there seems to be controversy surrounding the legislation between adjudication and the Insolvency Act.

Construction Act Dissertation
Construction Act Dissertation

As a solvent party does not have the right to adjudication against an insolvent party without the permission of the courts, thus contradicting the aims set out by statutory adjudication. The credit crunch has had a devastating impact on the construction industry resulting in a mass amount of business failures and insolvencies. The main aim and purpose of carrying out this research study is to identify the factors which affect adjudication with a view of highlighting the recent introduction of new legislation to The Construction Act and effect the changes have had on the construction industry. The study will also aim to identify if the current economic climate has impacted the number of construction disputes which have been referred to adjudication. The five fundamental objectives to be achieved by conducting this research are:

  • To discover the underlying factors which contribute to the occurrence of a dispute in construction contracts?
  • To discuss the Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms with particular reference to adjudication
  • To find out the implications which the construction Act and LDEDCA 2009 has had on adjudication and especially if the changes achieved their expectations in the construction industry
  • To assess the criticisms’ of adjudication with particular reference to insolvency and the grounds which the adjudicator’s decision can be challenged
  • To assess the impact that the credit crunch has had on both insolvency and adjudication and gauge the options of the professionals’ in the industry

In conducting this research study the author wished to ascertain whether or not the changes made to The Construction Act have had a negative or positive effect on the construction industry and secondly how the recent financial crisis has effect the industry as a whole as well as on adjudication.

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