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How Construction Companies Should Face The Challenges Of Sustainability

You can't find a corner of the world that construction hasn't touched. It's an industry that we all depend on, which is why it produces six per cent of the global GDP and helps meet our ever-growing needs for housing and infrastructure in burgeoning cities across every continent from Asia to North America. As urban areas around the world continue to see an increase in population by about 200,000 people per day and more housing needs arise all over as a result; construction will become an even greater need than before.

So what do all stats point towards? Sustainability in construction. Today the need for sustainability in construction is greater than ever before.

The European Commission is urging architects to create more sustainable buildings. The building sector produces a third of the world's waste, and 11% of greenhouse gas emissions; it also consumes natural resources that are not environmentally sound or safe for future generations.

It’s become evident that the construction industry is facing many challenges in sustainability.

From climate change to resource consumption and water management, there are various environmental issues that must be taken into consideration when working towards a sustainable future for the building trade today.

In this article we look at the impact sustainability will have on the construction industry and offer detailed insights into the guidelines companies must follow to make the world a better place.

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What role do construction companies play in sustainability?

It's a business world out there, and before anything else, your firm needs to show that it can make a profit. That being said, you should know about some of the benefits of sustainable construction when considering how you build things.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has been the standard for sustainable construction practices since its inception in 1994 – it promotes a system of sustainable building that goes above and beyond minimum requirements to ensure new buildings will not only be functional today, they will also be energy efficient as well as made from responsibly sourced materials.

A builder who invests in the latest sustainable technologies is able to recoup those costs over time because of their buildings’ energy efficiency. Construction firms need to realize that sustainable construction has become more and more important; it's estimated that 40% of a country's energy consumption comes from its buildings on an annual basis, so every building should be constructed sustainably.

Sustainability from a construction company’s standpoint

In addition to being sustainable and efficient, construction companies should be looking into the environmental impacts their work creates. They need to consider how they source materials for projects as well as what processes are used in order to get them done efficiently. More importantly, they need to operate responsibly so that no harm is caused by these decisions on our earth.

"40% of firms point out a lack in resources as the problem, but with proper planning and collaboration this issue can be solved for good"

Studies show that many large companies are planning on investing €3.5 million into improving their sustainability in the next five years and will focus on areas such as energy efficiency, carbon emissions reductions/offsets (also known as Cap & Trade), recycling initiatives, all with hopes that these improvements can help them create less waste overall.

Building is not just a metaphor. When we talk about sustainable construction, the focus isn’t only on where buildings are created, but also on how they affect people and places all over the world - from steel manufacturing plants to lumber mills in Canada or even at your job site.

The future of construction looks bright for those that are interested in sustainability. The latest techniques and materials will help to make your building more environmentally friendly, while still being able to maintain the professional standards you desire. We will discuss at length the practices followed by construction companies for the betterment of our environment.

How construction companies can ensure better sustainability

The construction sector is booming, but at what cost? The U.K. Green Building Council says that the industry uses more than 400 million tons of material a year and many have an adverse impact on the environment which will only intensify with increased growth in this sector!

It’s important to keep in mind that complying with sustainable construction guidelines alone will not guarantee sustainability. You need to take the following measures to ensure the best possible outcome for your projects and environment:

Follow sustainability practices during construction

Sustainability can be a problem in the construction industry. Buildings are constructed using natural resources, and when they're gone, it's usually too late to do anything about them. For example, remodelling buildings might result in throwing away materials that were used originally - this process depletes our environment at an alarming rate. When you consider that old product are thrown away rather than being recycled or reused for something else such as insulation material, it's easy to see just how wasteful we can become with our natural resources.

Modern construction is a complex and energy-intensive process. Building sites, tools, equipment and machinery all take an extensive amount of energy to operate. It's not just about what you use in the building part either - heating the place or powering people there takes up tons more power. The way we use our energy sources and the heavy machinery on construction sites can greatly affect how many emissions are released into the atmosphere. Land grading can also affect whether or not land is able to absorb water which changes your landscape's stability and scope.

Finding ways to use renewable energy sources and minimizing the impact on the environment should be a priority for all stakeholders. Achieving this goal will require collaborative effort from architects, engineers, developers, builders and more. If we can reduce the negative carbon effect on the environment through methods such as reducing energy use in buildings and using electrically powered equipment at work sites, then you'll be doing your part to change that.

Lean manufacturing processes in controlled environments can create a more sustainable environment for the future. It’s used indoors to reduce environmental impact by reducing wasted material as well as recycling any smaller bits leftover from construction before sending them back into use within new projects. The lean manufacturing process ensures that there's no needlessly discarded parts lying around when construction is conducted using this method.

Design buildings that can be repurposed later on

Designing buildings to last longer through reconfiguration means we use less material overall because the same structure is used again and doesn't end up sitting unused or demolished. Architects are now challenged with the task of designing buildings that can be reconfigured as needed to meet changing needs. Today, when architects design a building for reuse rather than demolition, we reduce waste going to landfills and overall consumption of raw materials.

In order to be sustainable, the construction industry must evolve. Fortunately, models like circular design are being introduced to eliminate wasteful processes that are harming our planet and are replacing them with more environmentally friendly ones. Circular design means eliminating the pattern of “design, build, use and dispose” by replacing it with a more environmentally friendly cycle. Circular design eliminates waste and keeps products in use by creating buildings that are recyclable or reusable without any adverse environmental impacts on nature.

A group of Danish architects are putting circular design to the test by designing a building in Aarhus that can be taken down and rebuilt exactly as it is, with some small modifications. Builders designed this system so they could reuse 90% of the materials without any significant decline in value - an amazing step towards a better future.

Take into account the materials used for construction

When the construction sector in England produces three times more garbage than all of its households, it's quite a problem. Every year this results in 20 million tons being thrown away into landfills. Well that’s just England, picture countries everywhere following suit.

Unfortunately due to inefficient design practices these raw building materials are ending up straight at landfills where they will never get used again- wasting not just natural resources but also money. It's important to understand why these materials are being disposed of instead of repurposed before we can get rid of them for good. The reason behind this pattern has everything to do with raw material extraction and treatments which have put damaging strain on both local environments as well as globally affecting ecosystems.

When constructing or renovating any kind of buildings, consideration should always be given towards selecting sustainable (and recyclable) materials that won't harm our environment when they're no longer useful. Creating a circular model for the construction industry isn't just about sustainability. It's also about recycling and reusing materials to create new buildings while preserving valuable resources in our environment.

Following the core principles of sustainable design in construction

Buildings are often faced with different challenges that result in a variety of impacts on the environment, but choosing sustainable building designs can help to minimize these. Sustainable design means the buildings use fewer resources while generating minimal waste and releasing low emissions into the air for healthier environments.

Understanding green building

A green sustainable building is a structure that consumes minimal natural resources. It aims to conserve the Earth's dwindling supplies of energy, water and other vital materials.

A construction project should be designed from conception with sustainability in mind for it not only has a positive impact on today but also generations into tomorrow.

Building a green building is critical for our future and the well-being of all creatures on earth. When you invest in sustainable design, it will not only benefit human life but also provide a habitat that sustains wildlife.

Optimise your site’s potential

A building's site design is an important factor in achieving a successful project, and the proper location must be selected. The orientation of the structure will affect local ecosystems as well as transportation methods. Landscaping also plays a role: it can decrease energy use by up to 10%. You should start with these considerations when designing or retrofitting your building for sustainability purposes.

The site of a sustainable building should be designed so that it reduces, controls and treats stormwater runoff. If possible try to have native flora and fauna in the region’s landscape design!

Optimise your site’s energy use

Fossil fuel-derived energy supplies power needed throughout the world, but these resources are in decline and will not last forever. Buildings are a major contributor to global warming, but they can also be the solution. One way we can cut down on our dependence on fossil fuels is by operating net-zero energy buildings which use minimal natural resources.

Conserve and preserve water resources

A sustainable building design and construction should use water efficiently to minimize its impact on freshwater stocks, while also trying to encourage the recycling of certain types of waste-water for various purposes when possible. Sustainable building designs can recycle water on-site when possible, encouraging people in construction to use it more efficiently by not wasting water where they don't need to.

Not only do we need to use this precious resource more efficiently in our homes, but also on the job site when possible so that fresh water supplies aren't depleted any faster than they already are.

Optimise site material and space use

The population is growing and so are the demands for natural resources. A sustainable building is designed to use materials in a way that's not going to deplete them, with an eye on efficiency across its entire life cycle- from sourcing raw material all the way through designing energy-efficient systems.

Utilizing sustainable materials to create a more environmentally friendly option is something we need as our world continues to change. From reducing global warming and resource depletion, it can also improve worker safety.

Conclusion

The need for sustainable buildings will only grow as the effects of climate change are felt around the world. Whether it's difficult to get a specific material or prices change due to scarcity, sustainability is an important consideration in construction projects and should be given careful thought before any decisions can be made. The world is changing and the old ways of doing things don't always translate to new situations.

For years, the sustainable building movement has been a beacon of hope for environmentally conscious architects and engineers. Now that global governance is in flux, many are concerned about whether new developments will be encouraged to take sustainability into account or if their voices will go unheard as infrastructure expands across evolving markets.

The future of our planet depends on how we build and design buildings. That's why governments should be incentivizing sustainable construction practices, while firms need to grow in a way that is environmentally friendly as well as profitable for all involved parties.

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