Environmental Impact of Dutch Dwellings: Priorities for Reduction and Benefits of Sustainable Construction

2001 ◽  
pp. 109-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerda Klunder
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Sustainable Construction

FC 135A STEP TOWARD GREEN NEPHROLOGY: APPLYING THE PASSIVE HOUSE CONCEPT TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF DIALYSIS FACILITIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Mariat ◽  
Jocelyne Rey ◽  
Annie Olivier ◽  
Perrine Jullien
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
The Body ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Passive House ◽  
Pump System ◽  
Dialysis Facility ◽  
Dialysis Facilities ◽  
House Standard

Abstract Background and Aims The environmental impact of dialysis is now being largely recognized. It requires from the nephrology community to actively explore novel environmentally responsible health-care practices. Among them, conception of energy-efficient facilities may be an important prerequisite for improving the environmental impact of dialysis. The Passive House concept is an internationally recognised, performance-based energy standard in construction which so far has been rarely applied to medical facilities and never to dialysis centres. We report our experience with the first passive-house certified dialysis facility in Europe. Method The Passive House concept is a sustainable construction standard for nearly zero energy buildings (the Resolution of the European Parliament of 31/01/2008 has called for its implementation by all member states by 2021). Principles and design tools of the Passive House concept are freely available for all architects. The concept combines a particularly high level of insulation with a specific system of ventilation. Geothermal energy and energy from inside the building such as the body heat from the residents or solar heat entering the building are the main energy sources. Passive House buildings allow for heating and cooling related energy savings of up to 90% compared with typical building stock and over 75% compared with average new buildings. Results The François Berthoux Center (www.artic42.fr) is a 4 400 m2 dialysis facility operated by 40 health care agents and providing care to 135 patients. It was designed following the Passive-House standard, applied for the first time to such a medical building. Several adjustments specific to the dialysis activity were necessary. The most unexpected aspect was the importance of hemodialysis machines as an energy source. Thorough thermal evaluation showed that the heat provided by different type of hemodialysis machines was systematically superior to the energy mandatory during the coldest day of the year (>10 W/m2). In practice, the center turned out to be fully operational with no external source of heating. The downside was that the geothermal pump system was not sufficient to fully regulate temperatures during the warmest period of the year. Optimal cooling was achieved by the addition of conventional AC systems in the hemodialysis rooms. Overall, as compared to a similar center, energy savings provided by the The François Berthoux Center were substantially less than what is expected from a conventional Passive House building but were over 50%. The extra-cost of the construction was estimated to 3 to 5%. Conclusion In conclusion, the concept of eco-friendly building should extend to dialysis facilities. Application of the Passive House Standard in the context of hemodialysis requires to take into account some specificities that can impact the global environmental performance of the building. However, the net result is clearly in favor of such a construction, which is both affordable and sustainable.

Sustainable Construction - Environmental Impacts Assessment of Architectural Elements and Building Services

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 77-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Moňoková ◽  
Silvia Vilčeková
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Building Structures ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Architectural Elements ◽  
Ozone Formation Potential ◽  
Environmental Technologies

Increasing concerns about negative environmental impacts of building structures call for higher demands on the design of environmental friendly buildings. This article is aimed at assessing the overall environmental impact of buildings throughout its life cycle as well as on environmental impact of all building materials and building services for single-family homes. This analysis examines the role of utilized green environmental technologies for the following selected impact categories: GWP - global warming potential, EP - eutrophication potential, AP - acidification potential POCP and photochemical ozone formation potential expressed in kg CO2eq, PO43-eq, SO2eq and ethylene within the “Cradle to gate with options” boundary. The LCA assessment methodology and eToolLCD software have been used to model the effects of houses’ life cycle.

scholarly journals 3D Concrete Printing for Sustainable Construction

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 6351
Author(s):  
Maria Kaszyńska ◽  
Szymon Skibicki ◽  
Marcin Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Cementitious Materials ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Standard Samples ◽  
Negative Environmental Impact ◽  
Extrusion Printing ◽  
Mineral Additives

Despite the rapid development of 3D printing technology for cement composites, there are still a number of unsolved issues related to extrusion printing. One of them is proper mix design that allows for meeting criteria related to the printing of cementitious materials, such as pumpability, buildability, consistency on the materials, flowability and workability, simultaneously incorporating sustainable development ideas. In the case of mixes for 3D printing, the modification of the composition which increases the overall performance does not always go hand in hand with the reduction of negative environmental impact. The article presents the results of tests of eight mixtures modified with reactive and inert mineral additives designed for 3D printing. The mixes were evaluated in terms of their rheological and mechanical properties as well as environmental impact. Initial test results were verified by printing hollow columns up until collapse. Later, the differences between the compressive strength of standard samples and printed columns were determined. In order to summarize the results, a multi-faceted analysis of the properties of the mixes was carried out, introducing assessment indicators for its individual parameters. The article proves that appropriate material modification of mixes for 3D printing can significantly reduce the negative impact on the environment without hindering required 3D printing properties.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Environmental Impact of Construction within the Industrialized Building Process: A Monetization and Building Information Modelling Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (22) ◽  
pp. 8396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuyi Yao ◽  
Guiwen Liu ◽  
Yingbo Ji ◽  
Wenjing Tong ◽  
Xiaoyun Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Material Loss ◽  
Community Interest ◽  
Life Cycle Stages ◽  
Comparison Results ◽  
Building Information

Industrialization has been widely regarded as a sustainable construction method in terms of its environmental friendliness. However, existing studies mainly consider the single impact of greenhouse gas emissions or material consumption in the construction process of industrialized buildings, and pay less attention to ecological pollution and community interest, which leads to an insufficient understanding. There is an urgent need to systematically carry out accurate assessment of comprehensive construction environmental impact within industrialized building processes. Various methods, including face-to-face interviews, field research and building information modeling (BIM), were used for data collection. Four categories selected for the study included resource consumption, material loss, ecological pollution, and community interest. A life cycle assessment (LCA) model, namely input-process-output model (IPO), is proposed to analyze the construction environmental impact of the standard layer of industrialized buildings from four life cycle stages, namely, transportation, stacking, assembly and cast-in-place. The monetization approach of willingness to pay (WTP) was applied to make a quantitative comparison. Results reveal that the assembly stage has the largest impact on the environment at 66.13% among the four life cycle stages, followed by transportation at 16.39%, stacking at 10.29%, and cast-in-place at 7.19%. The key factors include power consumption, noise pollution, material loss, fuel consumption and component loss, which altogether account for more than 85% of the total impact. Relevant stakeholders can conduct their project using the same approach to determine the construction environmental performance and hence introduce appropriate measures to mitigate the environmental burden.

scholarly journals Assessment of Sustainable Construction Measures in Building Refurbishment—Life Cycle Comparison of Conventional and Multi-Active Façade Systems in a Social Housing Complex

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sattler ◽  
Österreicher
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Recycled Paper ◽  
Building Refurbishment ◽  
Operational Phase ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

Building refurbishment plays a key role in the de-carbonization of the European building stock. Whilst the renewal of the thermal envelope increases energy efficiency during the operational phase, the type of material is highly relevant for the overall environmental impact of the refurbishment. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is most widely used for external thermal insulation systems but is also a material based on fossil resources. Thus, alternatives made from renewable raw materials must be more widely used in order to reach the climate goals. However, comparable data on long-term material effects over the life cycle are needed for developers and planners to make informed decisions. In a Viennese case study for the largest social housing property manager in Europe, two different façade systems have been analyzed to assess the overall environmental impact of the materials. In a comprehensive life cycle assessment, a Multi-Active Façade system based on recycled paper has been compared with a conventional external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) using EPS. It shows that whilst the evaluation during the operational phase alone results in a similar ecological footprint of the ETICS, the analysis over the whole life cycle provides a clear positive indication for the novel Multi-Active Façade.

scholarly journals Coherent Investigation on a Smart Kinetic Wooden Façade Based on Material Passport Concepts and Environmental Profile Inquiry

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 3771
Author(s):  
Amjad Almusaed ◽  
Ibrahim Yitmen ◽  
Asaad Almsaad ◽  
İlknur Akiner ◽  
Muhammed Ernur Akiner
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Renewable Materials ◽  
Operating Life ◽  
Environmental Selection ◽  
Environmental Profile

Wood is one of the most fully renewable building materials, so wood instead of non-renewable materials produced from organic energy sources significantly reduces the environmental impact. Construction products can be replenished at the end of their working life and their elements and components deconstructed in a closed-loop manner to act as a material for potential construction. Materials passports (MPs) are instruments for incorporating circular economy principles (CEP) into structures. Material passports (MPs) consider all the building’s life cycle (BLC) steps to ensure that it can be reused and transformed several times. The number of reuse times and the operating life of the commodity greatly influence the environmental effects incorporated. For a new generation of buildings, the developing of an elegant kinetic wooden façade has become a necessity. It represents a multidisciplinary region with different climatic, fiscal, constructional materials, equipment, and programs, and ecology-influencing design processes and decisions. Based on an overview of the material’s environmental profile (MEP) and material passport (MP) definition in the design phase, this article attempts to establish and formulate an analytical analysis of the wood selection process used to produce a kinetic façade. The paper will analyze the importance of environmentally sustainable construction and a harmonious architectural environment to reduce harmful human intervention on the environment. It will examine the use of wooden panels on buildings’ façades as one solution to building impact on the environment. It will show the features of the formation of the wooden exterior of the building. It will also examine modern architecture that enters into a dialogue with the environment, giving unique flexibility to adapt a building. The study finds that new buildings can be easily created today. The concept of building materials passport and the environmental selection of the kinetic wooden façade can be incorporated into the building design process. This will improve the economic and environmental impact of the building on human life.

scholarly journals 3D Printing Technology Within a Regenerative Construction Framework

2021 ◽  
pp. 245-261
Author(s):  
Odysseas Kontovourkis
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Impact Performance ◽  
Geometrical Complexity ◽  
Traditional Construction

Abstract3D printing (3DP) is considered as a promising technology in construction industry due to a number of advantages that among others include fast and accurate construction, as well as elimination of formworks and material waste. Although 3DP technology is at an early stage of adoption in construction industry, its positive contribution towards a more sustainable construction approach is well acknowledged. Nevertheless, various constraints prevent its further establishment that include among others lack of knowledge among construction actors, premature investigation regarding techniques and material properties, as well as limited work on design optimization, cost, and environmental impact performance analysis. This chapter aims to contribute towards this direction by analysing the 3DP cost and environmental impact of a number of brick units, forming walls with different geometrical complexity. Results show that while walls’ complexity is increased, there are no significant changes in cost, global warming and primary energy consumption. In contrast, through the application of traditional construction processes, the result values would have been increased proportionally to the degree of complexity. This proves the potential of applying the 3DP technique to the construction of any structure at no extra cost and without increasing the environmental impact. Also, it provides an indication of its potential to be included within a regenerative construction framework.

scholarly journals Impact of construction practices on the environment a case study of Kano State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-23
Author(s):  
B.S. Aliyu ◽  
M.Z. Moyi ◽  
L.Z. Fareed ◽  
H.J. Sule ◽  
A.M. Nazifi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Construction Design ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
The Impact

The Physical environment is being disturbed by numerous problems, including those caused by the constructions activities, such problems impacts on the environment right from the initial stage, operational and to the end of the life span of the built structure. The aim of the study was to suggest the main environmental impacts of construction in Kano state. About twenty six construction impacts were reveals from the past researches. However, all the impact was classified into nine main classes. Data for the study were collected from questionnaires and interviews survey administered to stakeholders of construction industry in Kano State. Data collected were analyzed and ranked using Relative Importance Index (RII), suggesting that they significantly impact on the environment thereby causing environmental degradation. Based on the results resource consumption was ranked highest among the major environmental impacts of constructing in Kano. The highest class, consist raw materials, water, fuel and electricity consumption. The paper concludes with recommendation which includes enforcement of extant rules, regulation and ethical code by government legislative on construction stakeholders, government should formulate and ensuring adequate use of construction design that will suite the environment in Kano. Also, all forms of construction practices should be subjected to an environmental impact assessment to determine the potential impacts and also formulate the ways to overcome it before execution. The study suggest also that, the chair personnel in construction companies should formulate some rules, code of conducts that will ensure good and fair sustainable construction practices in Kano. Keywords: Construction Company, Construction Practices, Environmental Impact, Kano.

scholarly journals SUSTENTABILIDADE NA CONSTRUÇÃO DO INSTITUTO BALEIA JUBARTE: TÉCNICAS DE BIOCONSTRUÇÃO

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (Especial) ◽  
pp. 71-79
Author(s):  
Bruna da Silva Batista
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
Energy Reduction ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Insulation Resistance ◽  
Innovative Methods ◽  
Acoustic Insulation

The Bioconstruction was the chosen alternative to develop ‘Baleia Jubarte Institute’ project, guaranteeing a sustainable construction in balance with the environment. The constructive techniques of bioconstruction generate energy reduction, transportation, environmental impact and costs. The work aims to present the constructive techniques used, incorporating traditional methods allied to innovative methods in a rational way. The Bioconstruction is able to ensure quality standards for built ecosystems, meeting the demands of human activities with reduced environmental impacts. The survey of the sustainable measures employed in the project implies the adoption of new conscious consumption principles and consumption patterns. With a methodology carried out using the qualitative method, the sustainable actions applied through bioconstruction as a guiding the mechanism are presented. The construction is a milestone that demonstrates the possibility of allying sustainable techniques and obtains satisfactory results of energy efficiency, thermal and acoustic insulation, resistance, quality, durability, sustainability and pleasant aesthetic effect.

scholarly journals A Novel Construction Technology for Self-Anchored Suspension Bridge Considering Safety and Sustainability Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoming Wang ◽  
Xudong Wang ◽  
You Dong ◽  
Chengshu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Suspension Bridges ◽  
Construction Technology ◽  
Bridge Construction ◽  
Sustainability Index

To promote sustainable development of civil infrastructures, minimizing environmental impact and mobility disruptions have been elevated to a higher priority during decision-making for bridge construction scheme. This study presents a novel temporary pylon-anchor (TPA) technology for construction of self-anchored suspension bridges by considering not only safety performance, but also environmental impacts. A practical assessment method and index of sustainability associated with bridge construction technology are established to facilitate the selection of construction schemes. The sustainability index takes the environmental impact, traffic disruption, onsite construction materials and equipment, onsite construction cost, and onsite construction risk into consideration. The sustainability index associated with both conventional and novel construction methods is assessed and compared in this paper. Specifically, a novel girder-pylon antithrust system (GPAS) is proposed, which is the crucial component of the TPA technology in engineering application. In addition, an analytical approach is developed, considering both global load-carrying capacity and local stress distribution within the design and construction of the GPAS. The applicability and rationality of the proposed construction technology are illustrated by the successful application in real-world engineering. The field tests and sustainability assessment during the construction stage reveal that the proposed sustainability assessment method and analytical approach can facilitate the implementation of sustainable construction for self-anchored suspension bridges by considering both construction safety and sustainability.

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