You are on page 1of 4

Sustainable Construction and Approaches for Greener Homes

Shahriar Shams1 and A K M Sadrul Islam2 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Islamic University of Technology (IUT) Board Bazar, Gazipur-1704, Bangladesh 2 Department of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University of Technology (IUT) Board Bazar, Gazipur-1704, Bangladesh E-mail of corresponding author: s-shams@iut-dhaka.edu
1

Abstract: Building contributes almost 40 percent of CO2 emissions and is a major contributor to the Green House Gas Emissions (GHG). Climate change and its impacts need considerable attention from the building engineers/researchers so that building is designed taking into account environmental, socio-economic and cultural issues. The sustainable construction looks into the design and management of buildings, materials and building performance, energy and resource consumption through efficient energy use and environment friendly materials. The study is an attempt to address the issues of sustainable construction and what approaches needs to be implemented for a greener home for the developing countries based on existing local condition.

countries based on existing geophysical, socio-economic and climatic condition. The developing city like Dhaka is having an annual growth of 12% in construction sector which contributes 3.7% of GDP [5] and employs 1.6 million people. Today, real estate and construction industry is the biggest of all the locally run industries and contributing 14.50 billion BDT (US$ 231 million) [6] annually. The existing one or two stories buildings are demolished to construct multi-stories building by the real estate developers which create a significant stress on water, energy and waste management.

1. Introduction
The concept of sustainability in building and construction has evolved over many years. In fact, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements [1] acknowledges that housing is now universally recognized as a human right and that effort to implement this right must be strengthened and accelerated. Furthermore, the success and progress of human society depends on physical infrastructure, and a nations economic strength is reflected in its infrastructure assets [2]. Sustainable construction is a way for the building industry to move towards achieving sustainable development, taking into account the environmental, socio-economic and cultural issues. Specifically, it involves issues such as design and management of buildings, materials and building performance, energy and resource consumption - within the larger orbit of urban development and management [3] [4]. Building sustainable homes requires optimization all sorts of environmental impacts in addition to CO2 emissions, such as water use, waste generated and materials for building. The study is an attempt to address the issues of sustainable construction and what approaches needs to be implemented for a greener homes for the developing

2. The Environmental Impact of Construction


Despite the tremendous benefits of construction, its activities can be a major source of environmental damage through depletion of the natural resource base, degradation of fragile eco-zones, chemical pollution and the use of building materials harmful to human health [7]. The design, construction, and maintenance of buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment and natural resources. Globally, buildings account for the following impacts, as expounded by Augenbroe, Pearce and Kibert [8]: One-sixth (17%) of the worlds freshwater withdrawals; One-quarter (25%) of its wood harvest, and Two-fifths (40%) of its material and energy flows; Nearly one-quarter (25%) of all ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are emitted by building air conditioners and the processes used to manufacture building materials.

A report from the Worldwatch Institute stated that building construction accounts for 55% of non-fuel wood use, and worldwide, buildings account for 40% of energy and materials use [9]. A typical house (1000 sq. ft.) using

common construction materials emits energy 274029 MJ and 21472 kg of CO2 . The embodied energy and CO2 emission of common construction materials are shown in Table 1.
Table-1 Embodied energy and CO2 emission of common construction materials (Source: [10] [11]).

The USGBC [14] identifies that the green buildings have following advantages: Environmental benefits: Enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity; Improve air and water quality; Reduce solid waste; and Conserve natural resources. Economic benefits: Reduce operating costs; Enhance asset value and profits; Improve employee productivity and satisfaction; and Optimize life-cycle economic performance. Health and community benefits: Improve air, thermal and acoustic environments; Enhance occupant comfort and health; and Minimize strain on local infrastructure. The construction of buildings should emphasis on day lighting, use of recycled materials like bricks and concrete, natural ventilation using mixed mode design. Mixed mode design is a concept where mechanical and natural ventilations are provided for optimum comfort condition, which is 26 degree Celsius. Rainwater harvesting from roof top is to provide water for toilets and the use of solar panels on roof are to provide hot water supply. The dwellers are encouraged to use water saving technologies through aerated and self-closing faucets. In US, LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) provides Green Building Rating System, provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals [15]. UK introduced the Code for Sustainable Homes in April 2007 [16] after consultation with environmental groups and the home building and construction industries. The Code is a voluntary standard designed to improve the overall sustainability of new homes based on nine criteria such as energy and CO2 emissions, pollution, water, health and well-being, materials, management, surface water run-off, ecology and waste. The code is set in a single framework within which the home building industry can design and construct homes to higher environmental standards and offers a tool for developers to differentiate themselves within the market. Where it is used the Code also gives new homebuyers better information about the environmental impact of their new home and its potential running costs.

Materials Aggregate Concrete Brick Plywood Glass Aluminum Steel PVC Plastics Timber Lime Cement Gravel and sand Ceramics

Embodied energy MJ/kg 0.1 1.3 2.5 10.4 30.3 227 32 70 61 3 6 5.8 0.5 5

CO2 emission kg/kg 0.16 0.1311 0.189 4.2 0.748 9.964 2.95 2.6904 2.2 0.003 1.352 0.9638 0.0018 0.349

Buildings produce 35 percent of CO2 in the United Statesthe chief pollutant blamed for climate change [12]. The average home energy consumption (for a house heated with natural gas) results in about 12.3 ton of CO2 emissions annually in USA. In the UK, space heating in dwelling accounts for around 14% of the UKs total emissions of CO2 [13].

3. Sustainable Construction for Greener Homes


Green building practices offer an opportunity to create environmentally-sound and resource-efficient buildings by using an integrated approach to design. The characteristics of Greener Homes includes: resource conservation, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation features; consideration of environmental impacts and waste minimization; creation of a healthy and comfortable environment; reduce operation and maintenance costs and use of environment friendly construction materials; Contribute to overall quality of life.

4. Implications for Developing Countries


Developing countries are at present faced with the need to increase their energy production to accelerate development and raise the living standards of their populations, while at the same time reducing energy production costs and energy-related pollution. Increasing the efficiency of energy use to reduce its polluting effects and to promote the use of renewable energies must be a priority in any action taken to protect the urban environment [1]. Increasing urbanization especially in the developing world does provide opportunities for the use of sustainable construction initiatives. Habitat [1] highlight the following figures illustrate the magnitude of the urbanization trend: Currently, 40% of the population of developing countries already lives in cities, By 2020, 52% of the population of developing countries will be in cities and towns; Currently, three-quarters of global population growth occurs and is expected to continue to occur in the urban areas of developing countries, causing hypergrowth in the cities.

3.

4.

5.

6.

incentive schemes for increasing the capabilities and economic viability. Promote the increased use of energy-efficient designs and technologies and sustainable utilization of natural resources Provide financial incentives to promote recycling of energy-intensive materials in the construction industry. The use of construction materials and products that create pollution during their life cycle should be discouraged such as imposing pollution tax. Promote research in construction industries and related activities, and establish and strengthen institutions in this sector.

5. Conclusion
Developed countries, as the largest consumers of energy, are faced with the need for energy planning and management, promoting renewable and alternate sources of energy and therefore necessary emphasis has been given to sustainable construction with energy efficient building. On the other hand, developing countries are experiencing rapid growth, with the associated need for their infrastructure to support that growth. Countries with mature economies are in the position of being able to devote greater attention to creating more sustainable buildings by upgrading the existing building stock through the application of new developments or the invention and use of innovative technologies for energy and material savings. While in developing countries, technologies should be developed to meet the social, economic, and environmental needs and its transfer should be based on the process which is adaptable and sustainable in the context of that particular country. Lesson could be learned from the developed countries where materials true value is recognized. The refurbishment works for high-rise building could be adapted to the cities where there is a demand for highrise buildings with emphasis on reducing energy bills and water consumption through use of appliances that consume less water, use of materials which has greater recycling values. A good building should incorporate as many sustainable, local materials as possible into its construction - to support local economies, to avoid the high energy and financial costs of long-distance transportation, and to fit in with local aesthetics. It also recommended that there should be an authority in the developing countries to certify the buildings in terms of sustainability. All buildings should be certified or coded by a licensed and accredited code assessor to ensure that the rating is independent and trustworthy. The Code will minimize the environmental damage from the construction process and will offer an opportunity to

The greatest challenge will be in Africa and Asia as Latin America and the Caribbean already have 75% city dwellers, while in contrast, only one-third of the population of Africa and Asia live in urban areas [1] Bartone et al. [17] pointed out that cities are the powerhouse of economic growth, contributing about 80% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in developing countries. Cities in the developing world thus provide great opportunities for making progress towards sustainable development. This is because by concentrating production and consumption, cities also make possible a greater range and possibility for the efficient use of non-renewable resources through the reclamation of materials from waste streams and its reuse or recycling and for the specialist enterprises that ensure this can happen safely [18]. It is therefore imperative that developing countries develop and operationalize a system of sustainable construction indicators, with the aim of making them part and parcel of the construction process. Following steps are recommended for the construction processes: 1. Establish and strengthen indigenous building materials industry, based, as much as possible, on inputs of locally available natural resources; Formulate programmes to enhance the utilization of local materials by the construction sector by expanding technical support and

2.

revolutionise the design of new homes so that the housing market encourages people to live more sustainable lifestyles. The fast growing cities like Dhaka needs immediate attention so that buildings are designed for maximum efficiency with optimum use of resources and lesser impact on environment. It is also recommended that the developers working with construction industries needs to be assed and ranked annually based on the concept of greener homes or energy savings in comparison to the conventional approach of construction method.

[13]

[14]

[15]

References
[1]
Habitat (United Nations Centre for Human Settlements), Cities in a Globalizing World: Global Report on Human Settlements, London: Earthscan, 2001. R.W. Hudson, R. Haas, and W. Uddin, Infrastructure management: design, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, renovation, 1997. Y. Miyatake, Technology development and sustainable construction, Journal of Management in Engineering, vol. 12, no. 4, 1996, pp. 23 27, 1996. G.K.C. Ding, G.K.C., Sustainable construction The role of environmental assessment tools Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 86, no. 3, pp. 451-464, 2008. CACCI (Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chamber of Commerce and Industry) Journal, Volume 4, 2006. National Accounts Statistics, July 2006, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Agenda 21 Chapter 7.67, Promoting sustainable human settlement development, Earthwatch, UNEP, Downloaded 19-6-2009 from: http://earthwatch.unep.net/agenda21/7.php, 2007. G. Augenbroe, A.R. Pearce, and C.J. Kibert, Sustainable Construction in the United States of America: A perspective to the year 2010, CIB-W82 Report, Downloaded 9-30-2004 from: http://www.p2pays.org/ref/14/13358.htm, 1998. D.M. Roodman and N.A. Lenssen, Building revaluation: How ecology and health concerns are transforming construction, Worldwatch Institute, paper no. 124, downloaded 27-06-2009 from http://www.worldwatch.org/node/866, 1995. C. J. Kilbert, Sustainable Construction: green building design and delivery, Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Page 37, 2007. E. Mulavdic, Multi-criteria optimization of construction technology of residential building upon the principles of sustainable development, Thermal Science, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 39-52, 2005. Smart Communities Network. Green buildings introduction, Downloaded 4-9-2004 from:

[16] [17]

[2]

[18]

[3]

http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/buildings/gbi ntro.shtml, 2009. BRECSU, Best Practice Programme: Case Study 201. Energy efficient refurbishment of high-rise housing, Building Research Establishment Conservation Support Unit, UK, March, 1995. USGBC, Downloaded 4-5-2009 from: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageI D=1718, 2009. USGBC, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Downloaded 5-10-2004 from: http://www.usgbc.org/leed/leed_main.asp, 2004. Department for Communities and Local Government, Greener homes for the future, UK: May, 2008. C. Bartone, J. Bernstein, J. Leitmann, and J. Eigen, Toward environmental strategies for cities: policy considerations for urban environmental management in developing countries, New York: The World Bank, 1996. D. Mitlin, and D. Satterthwaite, Sustainable Development and Cities, In Pugh, C. (Ed.) (1996). Sustainability, the Environment and Urbanization. London: Earthscan, 1996.

[4]

[5] [6] [7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

You might also like