Course Title: Sustainable Development

Course Code: CVS 374

Lecture Notes: 6
Sustainable Development in the Construction Industry
Sustainable construction is the practice of creating a healthy environment that’s based on
ecological principles. Sustainable construction is generally used to describe the application of
sustainable development to the construction industry. The industry is defined as all who produce,
develop, plan, design, build, alter, or maintain the built environment, and includes building
materials manufacturers and suppliers as well as clients and end use occupiers. Clients and end
use occupiers also have key roles to play in delivering sustainable construction.
According Kibert (1994), sustainable construction focuses on six principles:
1 Minimize resource consumption (Conserve)
2 Maximize resource reuse (Reuse)
3 Use renewable or recyclable resources (Renew/Recycle)
4 Protect the natural environment (Protect Nature)
5 Create a heathy, non-toxic environment (Non-Toxics)
6 Pursue quality in creating the built environment (Quality)
The principles are well explained in the document on the link:
[Link]
The goal is to reduce the industry’s impact on the environment by utilizing sustainable
development practices, employing energy efficiency, and taking advantage of green technology.

1 Minimize resource consumption (Conserve)

• Desired because it is the opposite of overconsumption that gave birth to SD.
• Leads us to the use of passive measures to provide heating, cooling, ventilation, and
lighting for our structures because the minimization of energy consumption is an
absolutely essential.
• Forces us to consider high efficiency systems, high levels of insulation, low flow fixtures,
and high performance windows.
• Leads us to the use of durable materials that have long lifetimes and require low
maintenance.
2 Maximize resource reuse (Reuse)
• In addition to reducing resource consumption to the minimum, we need to consider
that it is highly desirable to reuse resources we have already extracted.
• Reuse contrasts to recycling in that reused items are simply used intact with minimal
reprocessing while recycled items are in essence reduced to raw materials and used in
new products.
 • A significant business in architectural items such as windows, doors, and bricks that
can be reused in new construction and renovation has proven to be profitable as
owners and architects strive to recapture a sense of the past in new spaces.
• Other resources such as water can be reused via use of greywater systems.
• Land can be used by creating new spaces in "gray zones," areas formerly used for
buildings.
3 Use renewable or recyclable resources (Renew/Recycle)
• If resources must be used then they must be resources that are recyclable, have recycled
content, or that are from renewable resources must have priority over others.
• Principle applies to :
✔ energy where renewable sources such as solar and wind power are available for use.
✔ materials such as glass, tiles, wood, e.t.c. For example, wood can be supplied from
certified sustainable forests that provide the buyer with a reasonable level of assurance
that the suppliers are managing their resources in a manner that protects the environment.

4 Protect the natural environment (Protect Nature)

• Inevitably our actions in creating the built environment will impact the natural
environment and its ecological systems.
• Considering the past negative effects on the natural environment, perhaps it is time to
do better than just "sustain," but to "restore" where possible.
• Exampes:
✔ Grey zones can be remediated, detoxified and returned nearly to their
original state.
✔ The abuses of river straightening, marsh draining, and deforestation
can be remedied by intelligent intervention in creating the future built
environment.
✔ scrutinize the impacts of materials acquisition practices, whether
logging, mining, or consuming energy, to minimize environmental
effects
• Another expression of Principle 4 is to exercise environmental stewardship. This
acknowledges the human power to destroy the world's complex ecological systems
and reminds us that we must tread carefully less we destroy ourselves in the process.
• The complex tapestry of earth's many natural resources evolved over many thousands
of centuries and the interdependence of life forms on one another and on other
resources is barely understood. Clearly we have no notion of what extinction of one
life form may do to others nor do we have the smallest grasp of what the results of
man's genetic engineering experimentation may be.

5 Create a heathy, non-toxic environment (Non-Toxics)

• To meet the needs of man and improve quality of life, industry has created a wealth of
miracle products, drugs, chemicals, and machines
• With it comes the proliferation of toxic substances produced by these industries that have
invaded the environment and had inevitable negative effects on humans. Lead, mercury,
asbestos, and dioxins come quickly to mind.
 • The products constituting the built environment and the actual construction of the built
environment are accompanied by a wide variety of hazardous and toxic substances that
ultimately threaten human health and well-being
• Approaches:
✔ ultimate elimination of these materials except in cases where the manufacturers can keep
them in a closed system.
✔ Reverse Distribution, whereby products are returned to the manufacturer for extraction of
toxic materials for recycling into other products

6 Pursue quality in creating the built environment (Quality

• Although often cited and equally often abused, the notion of quality as a component
of sustainable construction is vital.
• Includes planning of communities to reduce automobile trips, increase interpersonal
activity, and provide a good quality of life.
• Includes excellence in design of buildings as an absolutely essential component of
sustainable construction because spaces that are not valued by their occupants will, by
their very nature, fall into disuse, disrepair, and disorder, contributing to the exact
antithesis of what sustainability strives to achieve.
• Selection of materials, energy systems, design of passive energy and lighting systems,
and a host of other decisions rest on the idea that significant analysis and design are
required to lay out spaces, build the spaces, and occupy them.

The principal sustainability issues related to construction industry include:

∙Use of environmental friendly material
Most material used in construction are extracted from the earth crust, moreover these
same materials when they enter the waste stream account for major waste generated.
∙Energy efficiency in buildings
In extreme climatical condition heating and cooling are major energy users. Buildings
can be designed to efficiently utilize energy. Energy efficient construction would
significantly reduce energy use. This will reduce the emission of the greenhouse gases.
∙Construction and demolition waste management
Waste from construction sites should be disposed appropriately with emphasis on waste
minimization, reuse and recycling.
∙Water conservation
Operations of buildings put strain on raw water while waste water and sewage are among
the major water polluters. Ways of treating and effective means of treating wastewater
need to be formed.
∙Health in buildings
Quality of internal environment of buildings is essential element to the heart of
occupants. Poor in door environment account for major part of health problems.
∙Sustainable architecture
Construction is at the heart of overall performance of buildings; by implementation of
principles and measures in design process, which will lead to sustainable quality of the
built

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANS
An environmental plan (or environmental management plan (EMP)) is an essential tool for
setting and managing environmental objectives for a project. Generally, an environmental plan
will be part of an environmental management system (EMS) and will sit within a hierarchical
suite of documents. In the construction industry a typical environmental plan should consider the
following:
1. Construction camps.
Selection of the contractor’s and the design engineer’s camp, should avoid location close
proximity to very sensitive aquifers/water courses/marine habitat, residential areas/schools
hospitals and areas of biodiversity.
Once a site has been selected, important trees and stands of vegetation should be
marked/fenced off for retention. Similarly buildings and historic features should be avoided
and protected.
Facilities for appropriate treatment of sewage and other waste should be put in place.
2. Construction workers.
Health and safety of workers is paramount, since fatal accidence are commonplace in
construction sites. Good design and management practices, dictates that health and safety are
observed throughout the project implementation.
Presence of many workers may accelerate spread of diseases such as AIDS. On the other
hand employment of local people often leads to improved incomes and transfer of skills.
Imported workers can also impact on habitat. Fuel gathering for cooking and heating can
strip local forests and hunting wildlife for food will affect the wild life existence.
3. Water pollution.
If engineering operations are proposed near watercourse or shallow aquifers, there should be
close monitoring to abate pollution. It will be necessary to avoid gravel obstruction from
construction site on live watercourses.
4. Erosion control
Excessive runoff from newly constructed road banks, dams or building sites can increase silt
in rivers and even damage offshore reefs. Swift vegetation establishment is therefore
essential. There should be provision of this built into the contract. Special care should be
taken to avoid plants that damage and alter the local ecosystem. Make use appropriate locally
available plants and local labor to create both employment and goodwill.
5. Noise and dust
Noise is regarded as a serious construction problem and exist in many places environmental
regulations governing maximum noise levels relating to certain times of the day and
proximity to houses. Standards vary and have to be measured against existing ambient noise
levels. In developing countries dust is more of an issue especially near houses and the use of
dowsers is often essential.
6. Archaeological and/cultural assets
The EIA would have identified archaeological and cultural constraints and risks but it is
during construction that the serious possibility of unearthing something spectacular might
always arise. Design should respect some items closely associated with peoples cultural
heritage and practices.
7. Protected species.
In some countries some species are protected by law or there are general restrictions on some
sensitive ecosystem. Design engineers need to be clearly aware of restrictions where they
occur to avoid delays and even prosecution.
8. Quarries.
Stone is often required, especially by road engineers, and this may involve opening a new
quarry, which can easily be the most serious impact of the total scheme. Safety can be critical
issue as can be restoration of the quarry after contract completion, noise from traffic and dust
during quarrying.

In summary, sustainability in the construction sector has an impact on most SDGs. The sector
has an impact on six SDGs namely: SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 7 – Affordable
energy; SDG 9 - industry, innovation, and infrastructure; SDG 11 - sustainable cities and
communities; SDG 12 - responsible consumption and production and SDG 13 - climate action.

Self-study: How can the sector align its activities about the mentioned SDGs thus contributing
towards Sustainable Development?