Technology Development and Sustainable Construction
01 Jul 1996-Journal of Management in Engineering (American Society of Civil Engineers)-Vol. 12, Iss: 4, pp 23-27
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the next great challenge for the civil engineering and construction industry in the twenty-first century, through conservation, recycling, and research and development on new materials and technologies.
Abstract: With the twenty-first century just around the corner, all industries, including construction, are posed an inescapable challenge by the term “sustainability.” Business activities of all kinds are major causes of direct and indirect environmental impacts. Nevertheless, until only recently the world’s businesses by and large have given too little thought to the environmental aspects of their activities, and their own sustainability. Achieving sustainability—through conservation, recycling, and research and development on new materials and technologies—is the next great challenge for the civil engineering and construction industry.
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TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual framework aimed at implementing sustainability principles in the building industry is presented, which includes resource conservation, cost efficiency and design for human adaptation, based on the sustainable triple bottom line principle.
Abstract: This paper presents a conceptual framework aimed at implementing sustainability principles in the building industry. The proposed framework based on the sustainable triple bottom line principle, includes resource conservation, cost efficiency and design for human adaptation. Following a thorough literature review, each principle involving strategies and methods to be applied during the life cycle of building projects is explained and a few case studies are presented for clarity on the methods. The framework will allow design teams to have an appropriate balance between economic, social and environmental issues, changing the way construction practitioners think about the information they use when assessing building projects, thereby facilitating the sustainability of building industry.
370 citations
Cites background from "Technology Development and Sustaina..."
...Authors Proposed principles for sustainable building Miyatake [33] Minimization of resource consumption, maximization of resources reuse, use of renewable and recyclable resources, protection of the natural environment, create a healthy and non-toxic environment, and pursue quality in creating the built environment Cole and Larsson [34] Reduction in resource consumption (energy, land, water, materials), environmental loadings (airborne emissions, solid waste, liquid waste) and improvement in indoor environmental quality (air, thermal, visual and acoustic quality) Kibert [35] The creation and responsible management of a healthy built environment based on resource efficiency and ecological principles...
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TL;DR: In this paper, a review of sustainable practice in the construction industry and the relationship between sustainability performance and business competitiveness is presented, where a framework for implementing sustainable construction practice to improve contractors' competitiveness is introduced to help contractors develop their sustainable strategies for meeting a changing competition environment.
290 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the level of developing green building in the current situation, to find important key players and to identify, and to eliminate the important obstacles to green building development.
Abstract: Green building is the foundation of the sustainable construction development. Construction industry with the high contributes with gross domestic product, has undeniable impacts on the economy. Although Green buildings provide a wide range of benefits for the society, green building development suffers from different kinds of market barriers in developing countries including Malaysia. In order to meet green building development in Malaysia, this study aims to investigate the level of developing green building in the current situation, to find important key players and to identify, and to eliminate the important obstacles to green building development. In this research, the respondents were randomly selected from the professionals of Malaysian construction industry across the country and the method applied for collecting data is questionnaire survey. All the questionnaires were sent out to the respondents manually or through e-mail. A total of 673 sets of questionnaire were sent out and 167 (24.81%) questionnaires were received. The quantitative method was used for analysing data through SPSS version 19. Based on the results, the level of developing green building in Malaysia is not satisfied and government has a key role in the development of green buildings in Malaysia. The main barriers can be listed as: lack of credit resources to cover up front cost, risk of investment, lack of demand as well as higher final price.
186 citations
Cites background from "Technology Development and Sustaina..."
...In addition, expert’s knowledge is a key factor to promote sustainable building (Miyatake, 1996)....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the concept of sustainability in the Ghanaian construction industry with the objective of identifying possible barriers to sustainable construction, including lack of demand for sustainable buildings, lack of strategy to promote sustainable construction and higher initial cost.
Abstract: This research paper aims at examining the concept of sustainability in the Ghanaian construction industry with the objective of identifying possible barriers to sustainable construction in the Ghanaian construction industry. Consequently, research data was collected through a questionnaire survey of randomly selected professionals in the construction industry in Ghana. Data collected was mainly analyzed using Relative Importance Index to rank barriers identified. The results show that key barriers to sustainable construction are lack of demand for sustainable buildings, lack of strategy to promote sustainable construction, higher initial cost, lack of public awareness and lack of government support.
160 citations
Dissertation•
01 Jan 2004
TL;DR: In this paper, a multi-dimensional evaluation approach is proposed to incorporate environmental issues in the decision-making process, using the conventional market approach to monetarise economic aspects of a development, whilst using a non-monetary approach to evaluate environmental matters.
Abstract: ______________________________________________________________________ It has long been recognised that environmental matters are important to the survival of the construction industry. Yet, in general, the construction industry continues to degrade the environment, exploiting resources and generating waste, and is reluctant to change its conventional practices to incorporate environmental matters as part of the decision- making process. Building development involves complex decisions and the increased significance of external effects has further complicated the situation. Cost benefit analysis (CBA) is one of the conventional tools used widely by public and private sectors when appraising projects. It sets out to measure and compare the total costs and benefits of different projects that are competing for scarce resources in monetary terms. However, there are growing concerns that the values of environmental goods and services are often ignored or underestimated in the CBA approach which has led to the overuse and depletion of environmental assets. Consequently, CBA’s usefulness and relevance in this respect is increasingly controversial. Project development is not just concerned with financial return, but is also conscious of the long-term impacts on living standards for both present and future generations. Sustainable development is an important issue in project decision-making and environmental effects need to be incorporated into the evaluation process. A multi- dimensional evaluation approach attracts increasing attention around the world as the way to incorporate environmental issues in the decision-making process. This approach uses the conventional market approach to monetarise economic aspects of a development, whilst using a non-monetary approach to evaluate the environmental matters.
142 citations
Cites background from "Technology Development and Sustaina..."
...The total environmental damage can be significantly reduced if the construction industry takes proper actions to improve its environmental performance (Miyatake, 1996; Ofori & Chan, 1998; Ball, 2002) and this potential damage has to be analysed when considering sustainable development (Bourdeau, 1999)....
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