scholarly journals Defining Focus Areas for Digitization to Reduce Construction Industry Generated CO2 Emissions

2021 ◽  
Vol 1203 (3) ◽  
pp. 032053
Author(s):  
Patrik Márk Máder ◽  
Nándor Bakai ◽  
András Horkai ◽  
József Etlinger ◽  
Márk Balázs Zagorácz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Complex Analysis ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Governmental Intervention ◽  
Construction Operation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by the construction industry is significant, therefore it should be addressed to protect our environment in the 21st century. The present research is the starting point for a more complex analysis in bioengineering science. It examines the possibilities of implementing digital technologies and the gains that their application can achieve. The research provides an overview of CO2 emissions from construction processes and identifies areas that may focus on future detailed analysis. The study consists of two main parts: a literature review and an interview with digitization experts focused on the issues identified. The present research guides future development focus areas comparing interviews by market and scientific studies. It is essential to determine how significant results can be achieved by using modern digital tools and methodologies. In this way, the extent to which they affect global emissions can be examined, and their impact can be quantified. In the research, the full spectrum of the construction industry was explored, hence we comprehensively analyzed the impact and problems of the processes belonging to each phase of the lifecycle. Although the environmental impact of raw material extraction and processing is significant, its techniques can be improved primarily through innovative solutions that require organizational or governmental intervention. By examining the building phase and post-building phases of the lifecycle, significant reductions in emissions can be achieved through more detailed design, optimized construction, and well-thought-out operation and demolition processes. As a result, immediate interventions are needed in existing methods and procedures. Sustainable construction can be supported by applying new, more accurate, innovative, and higher quality design, construction, operation, and demolition methods. These changes will facilitate the implementation of digitization processes in the construction industry at a higher level and prepare proposals for the solution of environmental problems in the construction industry.

Combining Mineral and Polymer Binder Material Science for Sustainability in Construction and Restoration

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4-6) ◽  
pp. 149-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dionys Van Gemert ◽  
Özlem Cizer
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Chemical Activation ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Inorganic Polymers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Concrete Production ◽  
Construction Activity ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The study of microstructure formation in polymer-cement concrete provides opportunities to exploit synergetic actions between cement and polymer, leading to performance improvement and to a wide range of new and innovative properties and applications. Polymers can reduce the impact of construction industry on environment, by decreasing the carbon footprint of cement and concrete production. Renovation and restoration, largely figuring in the concept of sustainable construction development, thank their growing share in construction activity to the input of polymers in repair and binder materials and in rehabilitation procedures. The study of ancient binders and mortars reveals aspects of the origins of the observed long lasting durability of those ancient mortars. It also reveals the interaction mechanisms between carbonation of air hardening components and hydration of hydraulic components, which in turn helps to develop chemical activation methods (i.e. alkaline activation) to improve the hydraulic properties of pozzolans and industrial residues to develop inorganic polymers (i.e. geopolymers) for eventually full replacement of cement in binders.

scholarly journals Studies of technology in prehistoric archaeology

2011 ◽  
pp. 465-480
Author(s):  
Selena Vitezovic
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Complex Analysis ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Social Foundations ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Material Choice ◽  
Manufacturing Techniques ◽  
High Level ◽  
Organization Of Production

Technology studies have always been the most important focus of archaeology, as a science which analyzes human past through the study of material culture. To say that something is technological in archaeology, means to put the concept of technology in the centre of theoretical studies, and to study not only the form of the object, but also the entire sequence of technological factors, from raw material choice, mode of use, up to the reasons for abandonment. The concept of technology in anthropology and archaeology is based on the original meaning of the word ????? in ancient Greek, meaning the skill, i. e., to study how something is being done. Such a concept of technology as a skill or mode of doing something was for the first time outlined by the French anthropologist Marcel Mauss, whose starting point was that every technological statement was at the same time social or cultural statement and that technological choices have social foundations. Pierre Lemonnier further developed the anthropology of technology, focusing on the question of technological choices, as well as numerous other anthropologists. In archaeology, the most important contribution to the study of technology was the work of Andr? Leroi-Gourhan, who created the concept of cha?ne op?ratoire, as an analytical tool for studying the mode of creating, using and discarding an artefact, starting with raw material acquisition, mode of manufacture, final form, use (including caching, breaking and repairing) up to the final discarding. It is not only about reconstructing the algorithmic sequence of operations in creating one object, but it is a complex analysis of operational chain within one society which includes the analysis of technological choices. The analyses of technologies today include a variety of different approaches, most of them with emphasis on the cultural and social aspects of technology. The analysis of bone industry in the Early and Middle Neolithic in central Balkans (Starcevo culture), which included not only final objects, but also manufacture debris and semi-finished products, revealed a well developed industry, with a high level of technological knowledge on the properties of raw materials, skillful manufacture, well organized production, as well as possibility of a certain degree of specialization on the micro and macro level (within one settlement and within a group of settlements). Both raw material choices and manufacturing techniques, as well as the final forms, demonstrated a high standardization level. Also certain symbolic value was attributed to some raw materials, and there is a possibility that skill itself was valued. Further analyses of multiple technologies will help in reconstructing the organization of production, social and economic aspects in Neolithic societies, as well as the role of technology in everyday and ritual life.

scholarly journals Green building as a direction of sustainable development: essence, tasks, principles, benefits, prospects

2021 ◽  
pp. 64-71
Author(s):  
V. Bilotil
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Green Construction ◽  
Current State ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

The construction industry plays an important role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and reducing the impact on climate change through the introduction of green building principles. So the article has been devoted to this type of construction as an important area of sustainable development. The interaction of climate change and construction activities has been substantiated in the article. Tasks and principles of sustainable construction have been analyzed. The economic, ecological and social benefits of green construction have been studied. The difference between traditional and green construction has been described. The current state of development of sustainable construction in Ukraine and the world has been considered. Prospects for green construction in Ukraine have been identified. The urgency and necessity of its implementation in our country have been proved.

scholarly journals The Impact of Construction Labour Productivity on the Renovation Wave

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soren Wandahl ◽  
Christina T. Pérez ◽  
Stephanie Salling ◽  
Hasse H. Neve ◽  
Jon Lerche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Operational Energy ◽  
Lean Tools ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Tools And Methods

The European Green Deal's Renovation Wave aims to renovate 35 million energy-inefficient buildings to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Historically, efforts to reduce CO2 emissions focused on Operational Energy (OE) of the finished buildings. However, in recent years the Embodied Energy (EE) of the building’s construction process has gained attention because of its essential role in construction renovations projects. In this context, construction efficiency, and more precisely, workers’ efficiency, is a vital catalyst to achieve the European Union (EU) targets. To identify the impact of Construction Labour Productivity (CLP) on the renovation wave an exploratory case study was adopted as a research strategy. Data from four domestic housing renovation projects were gathered. Three specific research goals are outlined. The first is to demonstrate the effect of the adoption of Lean tools and methods to increase CLP. The second is to quantify the correlation between improved productivity and the EE emissions saved during the construction phase. The third goal is to estimate the effect the higher productivity has on OE emissions. The results show that the adoption of several Lean tools and methods has a potential to improve CLP to 45%.  This rate of improvement for the 35 million housing units to be renovated could save 6.9 million tonnes CO2e from EE and 386 million tonnes CO2e from OE. This novelty link between process improvements and reduced energy consumption and emissions can support politicians and infrastructural developers in decision-making for a more sustainable construction industry.

Merging Cement Concrete, Concrete-Polymer Composites and Inorganic Polymer Technologies for Sustainability in Construction and Restoration

2015 ◽  
Vol 1129 ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dionys Van Gemert ◽  
Özlem Cizer
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Cement Concrete ◽  
Microstructure Formation ◽  
Cement Production ◽  
Repair Materials ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Construction Activity ◽  
The Impact

The study of microstructure formation in polymer-cement concrete provides opportunities to exploit synergetic actions between cement and polymer, leading to performance improvement and to a wide range of new and innovative properties and applications. Polymers can reduce the impact of construction industry on environment, by decreasing the carbon footprint of cement production. Renovation and restoration, largely figuring in the concept of sustainable construction development, thank their growing share in construction activity to the input of polymers in repair materials and in rehabilitation procedures. The study of ancient binders and mortars reveals aspects of the origins of the observed long lasting durability of those ancient mortars.

scholarly journals A Review of Reverse Logistics: An Upstream Construction Supply Chain Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4143 ◽  
Author(s):  
NNC Pushpamali ◽  
Duzgun Agdas ◽  
Timothy M. Rose
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Reverse Logistics ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
New Production ◽  
Current State ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
The Impact

Construction industry activities, from material extraction to the end of the structure life, affect the environment negatively. For a sustainable construction process, economically, environmentally, and socially friendly practices are essential, and reverse logistics is one solution that can provide such an approach. In reverse logistics, obsolete products are reused in a new production, while reducing negative effects to the environment. In this study, we assess the current state of research on reverse logistics practices in the construction industry. The study presents a comparative data mining analysis, followed by a content analysis. The results show that the construction industry literature ignores the impact of reverse logistics practices on upstream construction activities. We argue that industry practitioners must take reverse logistics decisions in the early phases of the construction process by considering both upstream and end-of-life construction activities, and we recommend a reverse logistics decision framework for successful reverse logistics implementation. The findings of this research are significant for decision-makers in the industry. We urge that sustainable practices be employed in the industry. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis is suggested to strengthen the arguments made in this article.

scholarly journals System Dynamics Modeling in Additive Manufacturing Supply Chain Management

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 982
Author(s):  
Jairo Nuñez Rodriguez ◽  
Hugo Hernando Andrade Sosa ◽  
Sylvia Maria Villarreal Archila ◽  
Angel Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
System Dynamics ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Flow Diagram ◽  
Disruptive Technology ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Operating Policies ◽  
The Impact

A system dynamics model was developed with the primary purpose of visualizing the behavior of a supply chain (SC) when it adopts a disruptive technology such as additive manufacturing (AM). The model proposed a dynamic hypothesis that defines the following issue: what is the impact of the AM characteristics and processes in the SC? The model was represented through a causal diagram in thirteen variables related to the SC, organized in two feedback cycles and a data flow diagram, based mainly on the three-essential links of the SC and the order display traceability: supplier–focal manufacturer–distribution Network. Once proposed, the model was validated through the evaluation of extreme conditions and sensitivity analysis. As a result, the dynamic behavior of the variables that condition the chain management was analyzed, evidencing reduction times in production, especially in products that require greater complexity and detail, as well as reductions in inventories and the amount of raw material due to production and storing practices from AM. This model is the starting point for alternative supply chain scenarios through structural operating policies and operating policies in terms of process management.

scholarly journals Investigation of heat loss of nodal connections of structures of energy -efficient "green" buildings

2021 ◽  
pp. 69-81
Author(s):  
Mark Berdnykov ◽  
Svetlana Shekhorkina ◽  
Marina Bordun
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Construction Operation ◽  
Traditional Construction ◽  
The Impact

The construction industry is the main consumer of natural resources, characterized by significant consumption of non-renewable resources and the impact on environmental pollution. Up to 50% of carbon dioxide emissions are accounted for by the construction industry. In addition, the main feature of the traditional construction industry is the overuse of energy, which affects the process of global warming and climate change. Energy is consumed in the extraction of raw materials, production and transportation of materials, in the process of construction, operation, repair and liquidation of buildings. Awareness of global environmental problems has led to a rethinking of the process of design, construction, operation and disposal of buildings in the European Union, the United States, Canada and others and the emergence of the concept of sustainable development and "green" construction. In this aspect, the main criteria for designing buildings are to minimize the impact on the environment, as well as reduce energy costs, reduce waste and harmful emissions. The solution of the above problems, taking into account national specifics, can be achieved by developing typical resource- and energy-efficient, cost-effective design solutions for load-bearing and enclosing elements and their joints using environmentally friendly materials of local origin (wood and materials based on it, clay materials, straw, reeds, etc.

scholarly journals Disposal of mouth covers, masks or respirators, after they are used, to minimize the environmental impact and contages by COVID 19

2021 ◽  
pp. 24-33
Author(s):  
Maria Guadalupe Hernández-Rodríguez ◽  
Laura Antonia Ortega-Chávez ◽  
Iveth Selene Caro-Escudero ◽  
Alberto Guerrero Barraza-Alvárez
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Rebound Effect ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

This article addresses the problem that is being generated by the use of mouth covers, gloves and masks used as protection against covid 19. After more than a year in a pandemic, the demand and waste of these protective implements has increased exponentially, which is why it is necessary to dispose of these sanitary wastes safely, to guarantee community health and the integrity of the environment. On the contrary, improper handling of such a volume of these wastes can have a rebound effect, both on people's health and on the environment. The objective of the research is to properly dispose of these wastes, through the use of special containers for this type of waste, as well as the proposal with the government and companies that use ovens for the production of their products, so that with the necessary measures They could dispose of this type of waste as raw material for their furnaces, since these companies have standards that they comply with to regulate the Co2 emissions that they emit into the environment, and thus minimize the impact that these wastes bring to the environment.

scholarly journals The Development of Recycling in the Construction Industry and Its Effect on the Economy

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih Kürşat Fırat ◽  
Fahri Akbaş
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Waste Material ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
World Population ◽  
Production Operation ◽  
The Impact

The growth in world population, global climate change, consumption habits of people, and the excessive use of prime materials, causes natural resources to decline rapidly. We waste more energy during the process of production, operation and transportation of materials than ever. Perhaps one of the most important challenges that our generation faces is to create an economy that prevents waste. Considering limited resources, countries are searching for new methods of recycling and reusing waste material. Recycling is one primary way to reduce the consumption of natural resources. Waste material can go through a reproduction process with various physical and chemical transformation methods. The recycling of petrochemicals used in the automotive industry, electrical appliances, steel and cement industries, and the improvement of the transportation sector can reduce energy consumption and raw material significantly. Investment in recycling facilities can maximize profits by turning waste back into the economy. In Turkey, the improvements on the subject of recycling of materials such as plastics and paper are observed. However, we almost see no recycling in the construction industry, except iron and steel sector. Demolition materials in other countries are included in the reproduction processes through recycling. Thus both the benefits of reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions are at a minimum. Therefore, this study focuses on the recycling in the Turkey construction industry. The research also investigates the impact of recycling of construction materials to the economy and the environment based on the data and knowledge obtained from some European countries.

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