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What Is Sustainable Construction?
Taking a responsible stance on preserving the environment has become a leading motivator in industries of all kinds — construction is no different.
To guard against the harmful effects of climate change and other related consequences, businesses are becoming more deliberate in assessing their impact on the environment.
Companies’ pursuit of more environmentally-focused methodologies can fall under the general heading of sustainable construction. These efforts take many forms and reach numerous parts of the construction space, up and down the supply chain.
Whether from a regulatory or corporate citizenship perspective, becoming more sustainable is an essential consideration for contractors at all levels. To truly embrace a sustainable construction mindset, however, leaders in the industry will have to break out of established patterns and challenge some fundamental assumptions. Green building methods — as covered in our eBook — are entering a period of ever-greater importance.
What Is Sustainability in Construction?
Sustainable construction practices comprise an overall collection of technologies, tactics and efforts collectively designed to bring down the overall environmental impact of the industry. From carbon emissions to pollution and beyond, construction projects can affect the natural environment, and embracing sustainable building means confronting that issue directly.
Every organization has a role to play in construction sustainability because every stage in the building process can contribute to a project’s environmental impact. From the initial design and selection of construction materials to the conduct of crews on the jobsite, there’s room for optimization throughout a job.
“Embodied carbon” is a key term when tracking organizations’ efforts to become more sustainable. It describes carbon emissions associated with both the materials and construction processes necessary to complete a project. Following the supply chain back, this calculation includes the production of components as well as their transport and all work on the jobsite.
To optimize performance in terms of embodied emissions, contractors must gain visibility into all elements of construction. Every partner organization, including subcontractors and materials suppliers, should be subject to close inspection and high standards to help projects meet overall sustainability goals.
Discover some of the technology innovations making construction more sustainable.
Why Is Sustainability Important in Construction?
Construction as a process generates notable levels of emissions — according to The World Green Building Council, 36% of CO2 emissions and 40% of energy use come from buildings’ life cycles. This means changes in construction management can be extremely impactful as part of overall environmental efforts.
Reaching ambitious, industry-wide goals and national climate targets will necessarily involve the construction sector due to the large place buildings and their construction hold in terms of generating carbon emissions. Furthermore, sustainable construction practices are important from corporate citizenship and consumer preference perspectives.
Organizations that move ahead of the curve regarding sustainable building are poised to become standard-bearers for the industry as it makes an overall transition. More environmentally friendly construction materials and methods are in constant development, and the most forward-thinking contractors are already investigating them.
With national and international bodies responsible for controlling the environmental impact of construction, there are ample benchmarks and targets to aim for. Progress and goals differ widely from one country to the next, but the general goal is the same — to become more sustainable as soon as possible to prevent irreparable damage to ecosystems and the climate.
How Are Contractors Making Construction Projects Sustainable?
There are numerous ways to bring sustainable methods into construction projects. Across the industry and around the world, construction firms are putting ambitious ideas into practice. These businesses are setting the pace in the industry.
Sustainability efforts encompass new material development and changes in approach, as well as efforts to directly cut emissions. The following are a few examples of recent projects showing the different ways to consider environmental impact as a fundamental part of construction planning:
Progress in Green Building
Experts are addressing the environmental impact of building construction through multiple methods at once, leading to a new approach called green building. On the material side, construction firms are experimenting with new ways to formulate key components such as concrete. By choosing concrete formulations that recycle waste materials, for instance, it’s possible to reduce the otherwise considerable impact of concrete production.
When it’s actually time to assemble structures on the jobsite, green builders are investigating the potential of modular construction. This means bringing prefabricated components to the site and simply assembling these larger pieces. This modular approach is more sustainable than standard processes as it minimizes construction waste.
Learn more about the revolution in eco-friendly building materials and methods.
Development of a Circular Economy
A linear economy is the standard approach to consuming resources in industries including construction. It involves the extraction of non-renewable commodities from the earth and the eventual production of waste. While this model has dominated for years, it has obvious drawbacks from an environmental perspective. Landfills can harm the planet and pollution is a frequent byproduct of the method — all the while, resources are being depleted.
A circular economy in the construction field, meanwhile, includes ample reuse of structures and less demolition. By designing buildings for long lives, contractors prevent the construction waste that results from demolition, as well as the emissions and resource use of building a new project on the same site. Reclaiming and salvaging raw materials and components are also important methods. A long-term goal of circular economies is to restore and renew natural resources, achieving net-zero energy consumption.
See how a circular economy can make construction greener.
National Pushes To Achieve Net-Zero Emissions
Some markets already manage energy usage well, bringing the goal of net-zero emissions into greater focus. This is the case in Norway, where the industry is ideally positioned to make ambitious new leaps. With a high value placed on maintaining a high-quality natural environment and a preference for locally sourced materials, city governments have found it possible to legally mandate zero-emission construction.
Next steps to achieve Norway’s target of completely emission-free construction in major cities by 2030 will involve building material development. With concrete and steel both requiring major energy commitments to produce, builders may turn to advanced materials like engineered wood. Furthermore, current biodiesel construction equipment may soon be phased out in favor of electric or hydrogen-cell engines, another step toward green construction in the country.
Go behind Norway’s efforts to promote emissions-free construction.
Increasing Use of Solar Power on Jobsites
Solar panels on buildings are common devices designed to reduce the need for outside power — but what kind of impact could they have while the building is still under construction? Construction equipment providers have changed their offerings to address this hypothetical.
By offering heavy machinery powered by solar panels, it’s possible to lower the portion of embodied carbon that comes from fossil fuels on the jobsite, though planning to use this equipment will require changes from legacy methods. While this calls for effort and upfront investment, the long-term move toward green construction will demand changes. Getting ahead of the curve on solar energy is one way to commit to progress.
Uncover the use of solar power to lower jobsite power consumption.
Discovery of New Uses for Waste Plastic
The use of plastic waste as a sustainable material can help solve two problems simultaneously: It could reduce the amount of plastic causing harm to the natural world while also providing a useful new component for builders. Since plastic is strong and durable and doesn’t break down, it is harmful when allowed to build up as refuse, but could be valuable as, for instance, a paving solution.
The advantages of waste plastic as a building component include its reusability and its relatively low cost. Pavers made out of plastic can potentially be recycled, allowing further construction without generating construction waste. The low cost means firms don’t have to consider short-term budget problems as a barrier when investigating whether they can use plastic in their projects.
Find out how waste plastic is becoming a useful construction material.
What Are Some Barriers to Sustainable Construction?
There are numerous ways to bring sustainable methods into construction projects. Across the industry and around the world, construction firms are putting ambitious ideas into practice. These businesses are setting the pace in the industry.
Sustainability efforts encompass new material development and changes in approach, as well as efforts to directly cut emissions. The following are a few examples of recent projects showing the different ways to consider environmental impact as a fundamental part of construction planning:
Embodied Carbon Remains Difficult To Reduce
Designing structures to meet green building standards often means reducing their operational carbon use — the amount of carbon emissions they generate in everyday usage. Embodied carbon, which includes emissions generated by material production and construction, is comparatively challenging to both measure and reduce.
The prevalence of high-carbon materials in construction is the major roadblock between contractors and a carbon-neutral industry. With regulatory groups pushing for emissions neutrality within the next few decades, it’s a necessary effort. Recycled materials, low-waste construction methods and intelligent, sustainable design principles all have roles to play in this ongoing push.
Discover how embodied carbon compares to operational carbon, and what to do about it.
Concrete Production Is a Major Source of Carbon Emissions
Designing structures to meet green building standards often means reducing their operational carbon use — the amount of carbon emissions they generate in everyday usage. Embodied carbon, which includes emissions generated by material production and construction, is comparatively challenging to both measure and reduce.
The prevalence of high-carbon materials in construction is the major roadblock between contractors and a carbon-neutral industry. With regulatory groups pushing for emissions neutrality within the next few decades, it’s a necessary effort. Recycled materials, low-waste construction methods and intelligent, sustainable design principles all have roles to play in this ongoing push.
Discover how embodied carbon compares to operational carbon, and what to do about it.
Water Use Represents Another Sustainability Issue
Energy consumption, material production and construction waste generation are not the only challenges facing contractors. Water is another precious resource that construction companies consume throughout the building process. Addressing water use at every step, from material manufacturing to consumption by the finished structure, should be a main objective.
Making the necessary changes begins with collaboration. The greatest impact is possible when the groups responsible for each stage of a construction project all sign onto a water conservation plan. Training can be key, with manufacturers, suppliers, contractors and subcontractors all informed of best practices around conservation. Success can lead to positive attention for a project from regulators, media and the public.
Learn more about water usage on the jobsite.
Ready To Learn More About Sustainability in Construction?
Since there are so many points of intersection between the construction sector and environmental issues — carbon emissions, waste, energy needs and more — there are numerous ways to become involved in conservation. Learning about ongoing efforts to build sustainable practices in the construction sector, as well as areas still in need of improvement, can help you stay engaged.
As long as the construction sector exists, mitigating its environmental impact will be a consequential part of its operations. Considering the relatively large part buildings play in overall carbon usage, the stakes are high for improving environmental performance by construction management. The world at large is directly affected by the decisions made by construction industry leaders.
Through a combination of technology usage and strategy development, contractors are finding novel ways to monitor and reduce their specific impact, as well as that of the industry at large.
Read our eBook for an overview of green building methods and sustainable practices.
