Sustainable Practices in the Engineering and Construction Industry

2015 ◽  
pp. 129-148
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Sustainable Practices

Rethinking Waste Through Design

2021 ◽  
pp. 449-459
Author(s):  
Caroline O'Donnell ◽  
Dillon Pranger
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Recycled Materials ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
The Us ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Made In

This chapter will study the proliferation of architectural follies that use recycled or recyclable materials in a move to promote better practices in waste and recycling. Given the slow uptake of this impetus in the architectural world proper, the text will investigate the obstacles in engaging in materially sustainable practices in the construction industry as well as case studies for rethinking currently problematic materials. However, while some improvements have been made in the construction industry's use of recycled materials, the industry often dismisses the afterlife of materials used throughout the process. What are the motivations of the industry and how can we incentivize circular thinking in an industry that produces hundreds of millions of tons of waste per year in the US?

Clusters of key barriers to life cycle assessment adoption in the South African construction industry: perspectives of stakeholders

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Titus Ebenezer Kwofie ◽  
Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa ◽  
Wellington Didibhuku Thwala
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
South African ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
The South ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The South African Construction Industry (SACI) in recent times has been characterized by a strong emphasis towards achieving sustainable building practices in infrastructural delivery. However, the lack of progress encountered in making gains in achieving sustainable practices has raised concerns over the effectiveness and understanding of the extent to which life cycle assessment (LCA) techniques may aid in meeting requirements of sustainable construction. Most efforts at LCA have been blighted with numerous barriers that have not been rigorously pursued and aggregated. Ironically, there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the limitations and barriers to these methodologies, especially in the South African context. The purpose of this study is to delineate the cluster of barriers to the adoption of LCA methodologies in the SACI. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was carried out from a deductive research design elicit primary data based on the experience of purposively sampled stakeholders in LCA in the SACI on the extent they perceived the presence of well-established barriers in LCA adoption culled from the extensive literature review. Findings Through the use of factor analysis, three aggregated clusters of key barriers to LCA adoption in the SACI were identified, which were knowledge and enabling conditions constraints, cost and time constraints and technical constraints. The results confirm that indeed human and technical barriers have been notable in limiting gains in LCA adoption and achieving sustainable practices. Originality/value These findings are, thus, useful in overcoming challenges to LCA methodologies in achieving sustainable building practices in building and infrastructural delivery in SACI.

scholarly journals Strategies of Green Supply Chain Practices in Construction Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 3209-3212
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Green Supply Chain Management ◽  
Green Supply Chain ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Construction Companies

Greening the supply chain practices is essential to all the sectors. Currently the management looking after the construction activities is also highly focusing on this. It is also coined as sustainable supply chain management. The sustainability is an important factor in construction industry rather than any other industries. The present research paper aimed at identifying and creating awareness of green supply chain management in materials and practices implied in Indian construction Industry. Many of the construction companies are not following sustainable practices in their day-to-day activities. There is a lot of scope to implement the sustainable practices, further helps in reducing the carbon emissions in the supply chain and helps to provide the recycling of the materials and thus reduces the wastage. This improves the construction industry economy and environment. The current research aimed at analyzing the strategies related to green supply chain management practices for construction Industry.

Key drivers for smart and sustainable practices in the built environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1257-1281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy O. Olawumi ◽  
Daniel W.M. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Urbanization ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Industry Practice ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe construction industry has been evolving in recent years through the adoption of smart tools such as building information modeling to reduce the complexity in the construction process and optimize the project's goals. This paper aims to identify and assess the key drivers for the implementation of smart sustainable practices in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachInferential and descriptive statistical techniques were employed in analyzing the data collected via an international empirical questionnaire survey deployed in soliciting the perceptions of 220 construction professionals across 21 countries. Factor analysis was used to categorize the identified key drivers into their underlying clusters for further discussion. Also, the data were analyzed based on the various groups and regions of the study's respondents.FindingsThe key drivers (KDs) are related to the technical competence of staff as well as knowledge and awareness level within the industry, issues related to organizational and project's strategy and policies, availability of financial resources and development of relevant standards and policies to aid its execution among others. A comparative analysis of the perceptions of the different respondents' groups was undertaken and discussed.Practical implicationsThe analysis of the key drivers for the implementation of smart and sustainable practices in the construction industry is expected to aid the decision-making of the relevant stakeholders as well as serve as a consultation instrument for government agencies in their design of localized policies and guidelines to aid smart and sustainable urbanization. The findings revealed the gaps in the implementation of smart and sustainable practices in various climes and organization setups and provided useful and practical strategies for addressing the current hindrances during implementation.Originality/valueThe study has generated valuable insights into the significant drivers that can enhance the implementation of smart and sustainable practices across regions. It is evident that synergy among the relevant stakeholders in the built environment will help accelerate the implementation of smart sustainable practices in the construction industry. The study findings have provided profound contributions to theory and research as well as to industry practice.

scholarly journals Regional Comparisons of Contemporary Construction Industry Sustainable Concepts in the Chinese Context

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Ma ◽  
Yun Le ◽  
Hongyang Li ◽  
Ruoyu Jin ◽  
Poorang Piroozfar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Construction Market ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Industry Professionals

Emerging construction practices such as building information modelling (BIM), prefabrication construction, green building, and integrated project delivery methods are gaining momentum in China, with great potential due to the size of its construction market. Through this, the sustainability level of China’s construction industry is expected to be enhanced from the economic, social and environmental perspectives. So far, there has been limited understanding of how BIM, as a digital technology, would affect other contemporary sustainable construction practices from the industry professionals’ point of view. Limited studies have been carried out to study the regional differences of these contemporary sustainable practices in China. This study adopted a questionnaire-based approach targeting industry professionals from three different metropolitan cities (Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Wenzhou).The follow-up comprehensive statistical analysis revealed that with regards to these contemporary sustainable construction practices, survey participants held much varied views on the growth of renovation projects, traditional Design–Bid–Build delivery, and conventional on-site construction methods. These three types were also generally perceived to have weak correlation with BIM application. Regional comparison further conveyed information on differences in perceptions among survey respondents from these three cities. For example, respondents from Wenzhou perceived more positive effects of BIM use in conventional construction projects. This research addressed the inter-correlation among these emerging sustainable construction practices, as well as the regional differences in China’s construction market. The findings provide insights and the big picture for both governmental authorities and industry practitioners on the latest sustainable practices of China’s construction industry. Recommendations are also offered towards improved economic, social and environmental sustainability performance for construction projects in the country.

scholarly journals O RECONHECIMENTO DAS CERTIFICAÇÕES AMBIENTAIS NO SETOR DA CONSTRUÇÃO CIVIL

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (Especial) ◽  
pp. 203-206
Author(s):  
Danielle Elis Garcia Furuya ◽  
Michelle Taís Garcia Furuya ◽  
Rodrigo Coladello de Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Environmental Certification ◽  
Professional Field ◽  
The Way

The adoption of sustainable practices has become increasingly common in the professional field. In order to avoid wasting materials and using products that cause less environmental impact, the construction industry seeks to put sustainability into practice. Environmental certifications play a key role in this sector as a way to ensure that such practices are performed correctly. In this context, the objective of the article was to conduct a study on the role of environmental certifications in the civil construction sector, taking into account the way they are disclosed and applied. Although the professionals of the area are aware of the possibility of a building receiving a certain certification, it was verified that the information regarding the concept and the process to obtain an environmental certification are scarce.

scholarly journals Identification of Obstacles to Implementing Sustainability in the Civil Construction Industry Using Bow-Tie Tool

Buildings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuelly L.G. da Trindade ◽  
Luanda R. Lima ◽  
Luciana H. Alencar ◽  
Marcelo H. Alencar
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Construction Material ◽  
Adverse Impact ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Technical Knowledge ◽  
Technical Standards ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Bow Tie

The construction industry is responsible for causing a large adverse impact on the environment. To minimize these impacts, sustainable practices are being sought mainly in the area of the wastage of and the waste from raw materials. Many obstacles and difficulties are encountered when trying to implement sustainable practices in civil construction. Thus, a study to identify what the obstacles are to implementing such practices is necessary. Therefore, the objective of this study is to present an assessment of the main obstacles to implementing sustainability in civil construction for which the bow-tie tool is used. Three cases were analyzed: construction material waste, the wastage of plaster and planning a sustainable construction project. Results showed that the lack of planning for sustainable construction projects, the lack of compliance with technical standards and the lack of technical knowledge of the workforce and of standardization are among the main obstacles to implementing sustainability in civil construction. This study offers a structured methodology to identify causes, consequences and obstacles related to events that affect the implementation of sustainable practices. It provides a visualization of the scenario investigated through the diagram generated, facilitating its understanding and analysis.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document