The construction industry plays a vital role in influencing our built atmosphere. With that obligation comes the need to focus on sustainability.
As the world population keeps booming, the request for eco-friendly, resourceful construction techniques has never been higher. Integrating sustainability in construction not only helps decrease our environmental footprint, but also offers long-term financial benefits, expands public health, and sustains resources for the future.
Construction companies might encounter unidentified climate change-related exposures in their supply chains. Physical damage to public infrastructure could affect business profits, and project schedules, and create long delays.
To keep a competitive edge and to remain able to function in these conditions, it is recommended that contractors take measures to characterize, address, and know these dangers and enhance resilience.
Climate moderation and adaptation should be an essential part of the design scheme. Low-carbon building materials and effective design help to alleviate other contributions to climate. Concerns regarding elevation, combustible materials, heat, and wind tolerances not only have to survive the current environment but possibly the riskier environment the future provides.
Moreover, for larger construction projects, where a construction project can go for years, climate change predictions must be included in the construction and commissioning stages and the asset’s predicted lifespan once accomplished.
In this article, we will discuss the significance of sustainable construction procedures and how designers and contractors can input green solutions into their large construction projects.
Sustainability in Construction
Sustainability in construction means the method of constructing, operating, and designing buildings with an emphasis on reducing their environmental effect while increasing their financial and social benefits. This includes:
- Using green materials
- Decreasing waste generation
- Employing energy-efficient systems
- Producing healthy indoor environments
The main goal of environmental sustainability in construction is to lessen the reduction of natural resources, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate the well-being of both residents and the community. As a result, sustainable construction has a crucial role in contemporary large construction projects and the designs of modern-day large buildings.
The goal of sustainable construction is to limit the negative environmental impact of buildings while simultaneously achieving economic and social sustainability. We’ll expand on these concepts in the next section.
Three Vital Aspects of Sustainability in Construction
Sustainability isn’t just about being more energy efficient or using environmentally friendly energy. Accomplishing this can be done by applying these three vital aspects of sustainability in construction:
Economic sustainability – This aspect is about ensuring jobs remain within budget, generate revenue, and provide economic benefits for the residents and community. Companies need a well-defined picture of their numbers to generate smart financial decisions. This is where construction accounting comes into the picture.
Environmental sustainability – This aspect entails decreasing the negative effect of buildings on the environment by using more green methods and materials. This involves applying energy-efficient design and using resources that produce lower CO2 emissions.
Social sustainability – This aspect is all about making spaces that answer the needs of the community and enhance the total quality of life for people using them. Construction projects that include social sustainability should foster well-being for residents and the community at large.
Why Sustainability in Construction is So Important
The construction industry must aid in building a world that will better the lives of future generations and use green methods. Working sustainably entails fulfilling the demands of the increasing population, as well as sustaining the environment in the long run.
The construction industry makes up over 35% of worldwide energy use and over 39% of CO2 emissions. This makes it obvious why sustainability in construction is critical. Furthermore, new research shows that construction and building works make up over 29% of worldwide raw materials and over 39% of solid waste generation.
Besides the environmental effect, sustainability in construction is vital for the continuing social and financial prosperity of communities.
By implementing sustainable construction practices, contractors can cut operational costs, strengthen the lifespan of structures, and improve property values. Sustainable buildings deliver healthier working and living settings for occupants, enhancing their productivity. In turn, this can promote a better quality of life and greater local economies.
As the population keeps growing, the need for sustainable construction will only grow, making it a major strategy in tackling today’s urgent challenges like climate change, social inequality, and lack of resources.
Benefits of Sustainable Construction
There are several benefits to sustainability in the construction industry, including aspects such as:
Environmental Benefits
The environmental benefits of sustainability in the construction industry are extensive and diverse. By selecting environmentally friendly methods and materials, sustainable construction aids in protecting ecosystems, saving natural resources, and lowering energy consumption.
Consequently, this causes a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a lesser carbon footprint for the built atmosphere. Eco-friendly construction methods can also play a part in better waste reduction, water management, and encouraging biodiversity.
Social Benefits
The social benefits of sustainability in construction are critical, fostering and encouraging a sense of well-being and community. Sustainable buildings are planned with features that endorse healthier indoor settings such as better air quality, more natural light, and access to green spaces.
These features contribute to better mental and physical health for occupants, generating greater complete satisfaction and productivity. A company can include social value to a job by using sustainable construction procedures that usually emphasize local labor and materials, generating new jobs and contributing to the local economy.
With Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), companies take responsibility for the social, economic, and environmental impact of their projects. This lets contractors show their devotion to sustainable development and form a positive public image.
Financial Benefits
By including sustainable materials and techniques, property developers can drastically decrease enduring operational costs including water, maintenance, and energy expenditures. Moreover, sustainable buildings typically have a greater market value, making them a smart investment for stakeholders.
As more consumers become more involved in a green lifestyle, the request for environmentally-friendly structures keeps rising, giving a competitive edge to those supporting sustainability.
Climate Change and Its Impact on Construction
Climate change can considerably influence the efficiency and operation of the construction industry. With severe weather occurrences becoming more common because of climate change, there’s an increasing need for structures that can survive these conditions. This requires the construction sector to build and design more durable buildings.
Climate change is altering the planet and the way we work in many ways. Regrettably, these changes are difficult to ignore, particularly within construction. Weather affects construction project plans considerably. For instance, construction crews might need to increase work hours to make up for severe temperatures.
To diminish the effect, numerous construction companies have been doing their part by buying only sustainable, durable materials and using construction technology that aids in keeping projects eco-friendly.
The Impact of Climate Change on Construction Projects
The negative effects of climate change differ, but the impact on construction jobs is significant. Climate change is creating huge financial concerns for the construction industry. Extreme weather happenings can result in dangerous drought and flooding, project interruptions, and destroyed structures.
To help decrease the effects of climate change, many project developers are using eco-friendly construction materials. While this is a required step towards better, more sustainable construction, becoming environmentally friendly typically entails more money for job costs and construction materials. Compared with standard structures, eco-green buildings are costlier to build.
Building structures must be made to suit future climate conditions. Heavy downpours and wet winters make it even more critical to direct rainwater and melting snow away from homes, streets, paved areas, etc. A mild climate will decrease the durability of building materials and impact the indoor climate of building structures. Warmer summers will develop a bigger need for cooling. Higher water and groundwater levels in watercourses and streams are in greater danger of storm surges along the coastline, making it suitable to protect buildings against flooding and leakage.
Buildings
Buildings can be susceptible to climate change. There might be a greater danger of collapsing in the future due to:
- Water intrusion
- Snow or storm damage
- Declining indoor climate
The result is a substantial loss of value for the building and a decrease in the lifetime of the structure. In the end, intense storms are the biggest challenge. Storms will create a safety danger in the parts of current buildings that don’t satisfy the building code’s safety guidelines. In the long run, an increase in lingering heat waves can produce health-related results, particularly for the weak and seniors in nursing homes.
The Bottom Line
The relationship between the construction sector, sustainability, and climate change is multi-faceted and complicated. However, fulfilling this requires a collective effort from all industry stakeholders, including construction businesses, building contractors, policymakers, and consumers.
At Baseline, our team provides environmental services, such as soil sampling and water quality studies, that protect natural resources. Contact us today so we can help you get started on your next construction project.
