scholarly journals Research Challenges and Advancements in the field of Sustainable Energy Technologies in the Built Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paris A. Fokaides ◽  
Rasa Apanaviciene ◽  
Jurgita Černeckiene ◽  
Andrius Jurelionis ◽  
Egle Klumbyte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Scientific Discussion ◽  
Energy Assessment

Inevitably, the 21st century has initiated a series of developments in the construction industry, leading to its digitalization and resulting in a series of innovative approaches and practices. At the same time, the construction industry, being one of the main global environment polluters, should fulfil well-established, as well as novel, sustainability requirements in order to evolve in harmony with the rising concerns on the availability of natural resources. This overview study aims to present the main developments, research, and scientific challenges in the field of sustainable construction, emphasizing the field of energy. The study aims to present a state-of-the-art scientific discussion on the sustainable built environment topic by analyzing cutting edge topics in the fields of building elements and whole building energy assessment, of indoor air quality and low carbon buildings, as well as on sustainable energy systems and smart buildings. The study also presents the state-of-the-art in existing tools which are adopted for the assessment of the sustainable built environment, including the use of digital tools and building information modelling for the energy assessment of the built environment, as well as the application of Life Cycle Assessment on building-related processes. Cross cutting issues related to the analysis of the building sector in the Industry 4.0 era, such as sustainability management topics and environmental geomatics are also discussed. The study concludes in those fields which will be of interest of the scientific community in the following years, towards achieving the goals of the sustainable development of the building sector.

Embracing sustainability practices in UK construction organizations

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Opoku ◽  
Vian Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Organizational Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Organizations ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – Adopting sustainable construction practices minimizes the overall environmental impact of the built asset throughout its whole life. Currently, there is demand from key stakeholders in the construction industry for organization to deliver sustainable built environment, however, leaders/champions within construction organizations charged with the adoption of sustainable construction practices face many challenges. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an investigation into the challenges facing intra-organizational leaders charged with the promotion of sustainable construction practices. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interview with 15 leaders, followed by an industry-wide survey of 200 intra-organizational leaders in contractor and consultant organizations in the UK construction industry. Findings – The results revealed that increased capital cost is the most significant challenge facing construction organizations in attempt to adopt sustainability practices in the delivery of construction projects. Originality/value – This study provides the empirical evidence linking leadership within construction organizations and sustainability; filling the gap in literature and serving as a source of reference material for higher education programmes in the built environment.

Study on the Impact of the Construction Industry by the Development of Globalization Low-Carbon Economy and the Changing Pattern of International Competition

2011 ◽  
Vol 250-253 ◽  
pp. 3983-3987
Author(s):  
Hong Jun Jia
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Core Competitiveness ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Production Methods ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Carbon Economy

Low-carbon economic development strategy of globalization on the construction of deep-seated changes in production methods proposed new requirements. Requiring the construction industry to enhance output level, to improve the output value of profits, and strengthen the quality of the industry, expand the international market, and enhance core competitiveness. In this paper, an in-depth analysis on the challenges posed by low-carbon economy to the construction industry and the issues caused by international financial market volatility was made. And recommendations on strengthening the construction industry production relations, promoting the progress and improvement of the construction industry production methods and leading the sustainable development of the construction industry were proposed.

scholarly journals Low-carbon Building Innovation Trends and Policy Pespectives in Hungary between 2020 and 2030

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 42-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Csaba Fogarassy ◽  
Balint Horvath
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Union Member ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Policy Effects ◽  
Greenhouse Gasses ◽  
European Union Member States

Abstract Regarding the aspects of climate policy, the building sector in Hungary is one of the best performing industries. This means that the GHGs (Greenhouse Gasses) the sector emits can be decreased more effectively and at less cost than in the case of other sectors. This is no surprise in the European Union, since there is a continual demand on behalf of society to develop old and outdated buildings, thus modern technological solutions also inherently result in operating efficacy. The ‘climate policy targeted’ development of the built environment based on EU funds is thus one of the most popular developments amongst European Union Member States. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to assess the climate policy effects of the presently preferred strategy approach(es) between 2020 and 2030.

Barriers to environmental sustainability of construction projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
De-Graft Joe Opoku ◽  
Joshua Ayarkwa ◽  
Kofi Agyekum
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Agenda

Purpose The construction industry plays an important role in the achievement of the 11th and 15th of the Sustainable Development Goals. Efforts have been made by most developing and developed economies toward the achievement of these goals. Despite the efforts being made by the construction industry toward the achievement of these goals, there are still barriers that prevent built environment consultants from advancing environmental sustainability (ES) of construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers to ES of construction projects. Design/methodology/approach An extensive literature review on barriers to the adoption of ES was conducted and face-to-face semi-structured interviews of purposively selected built environment consultants in Ghana were carried out. Thematic template analysis of qualitative data was conducted. Findings The key findings from the study include perceived initial costs, lack of knowledge on ES, technological difficulties, external pressures in adopting ES practices and environmental conditions in developing countries. Originality/value The outputs of this study offer strategies which are very significant to the construction industry in embracing ES. Further, the findings contribute to knowledge on achieving the sustainable development agenda.

TOWARDS DIGITIZING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: STATE OF THE ART OF CONSTRUCTION 4.0

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Aslam Hossain ◽  
Abid Nadeem
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Productivity Improvement ◽  
New Research

Having a significant economic impact in country's GDP and being a major workforce, construction industry is yet characterized by low production rate, low technological advancement, minimum automation and robotic usage, and so on. With the visionary idea of Industry 4.0 that focuses on digitization of the value chain of a product and improving productivity through a variety of technologies and automated manufacturing environment, this research aims to develop a framework to adopt Construction 4.0 within a construction company. Current state of the art of the technologies in construction associated with the notion of Industry 4.0 (e.g., Building Information Modelling, virtual reality, augmented reality, Drone, etc.) is explored through extensive literature studies. The proposed framework incorporates current technological advancement related to construction industry, legislative requirements, barriers, enterprise transformation requirements and so on. Construction 4.0 would make a great impact in construction industry through improved value chain of construction projects, productivity improvement, and safe and sustainable construction. Indeed, the proposed framework would contribute to the advancement of new knowledge in the worlds' construction companies and provide potentials of new research focuses.

scholarly journals Challenges of a Healthy Built Environment: Air Pollution in Construction Industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10469
Author(s):  
Antonija Ana Wieser ◽  
Marco Scherz ◽  
Alexander Passer ◽  
Helmuth Kreiner
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Life Cycle Stages

Air pollution is a global concern, especially in cities and urban areas, and has many implications for human health and for the environment. In common with other industrial sectors, the construction industry emits air pollutants. In scientific literature, the contribution the construction industry makes to air pollution is underexposed. This systematic literature review (SLR) paper gives an overview of the current literature regarding air pollution within the construction industry. Air pollution is discussed focusing mainly on three levels: (i) buildings and their building life cycle stages, (ii) construction processes and components, and (iii) building material and interior. The final sample of the SLR comprises 161 scientific articles addressing different aspects of the construction industry. The results show that most articles address the use stage of a building. Particulate matter in different sizes is the most frequently examined air pollutant within the SLR. Moreover, about a third of the articles refer to indoor air pollution, which shows the relevance of the topic. The construction industry can help to develop a healthier built environment and support the achievement of cleaner air within various life cycle stages, e.g., with optimized construction processes and healthier materials. International agreements and policies such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can support the sustainable development of the construction industry.

scholarly journals Conceptualizing the State of the Art of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Green Construction and Its Nexus to Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrianarivo Andriandafiarisoa Ralison Ny Avotra ◽  
Ye Chenyun ◽  
Wu Yongmin ◽  
Zhang Lijuan ◽  
Ahsan Nawaz
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Sem Analysis ◽  
The State ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Green Construction ◽  
Corporate Social

The study has been investigated on conceptualizing the state of the art of cooperate social responsibility (CSR) in green construction and its nexus to sustainable development. The research objective is to find out the significant relationship between CSR and green construction and further link green construction with sustainable development. The data has been collected from the 319 respondents working on different projects in the construction industry of China. The study is quantitative by nature. SEM analysis with the help of Smart-PLS has been applied to test the hypothesis relationship and mediations between components of CSR, green construction, and sustainable development. Results define that green procurement as a component of green construction strongly mediates between corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, and green design and CO2 emission moderately mediates between corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. This research would add values, benefits, and knowledge toward reducing environmental temperature with the help of green construction occupying the effects of CSR on it. It would be helpful to change the trends in the construction industry to make environmental health protective and to boost the sustainable development.

MANAGING SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

2006 ◽  
Vol 08 (01) ◽  
pp. 41-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
MALIK M. A. KHALFAN
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Management Activity ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Generic Design ◽  
Design And Construction

This paper presents a 'Sustainability Management Activity Zone' (SMAZ) to support the implementation of sustainable construction practices integrated within a generic design and construction process map, the Process Protocol (1998). This is being investigated within the C-SanD Project (Creating, Sustaining, and Disseminating Knowledge for Sustainable Construction: Tools, Methods and Architectures). A brief overview of sustainable development and sustainable construction is presented, followed by an introduction to the C-SanD project and its initial findings related to current practice and the perception of sustainability within the construction industry based on the first round of interviews. The paper also discusses some of the sustainability issues identified during the field work, and highlights the need for a structured framework to consider and incorporate sustainability issues during the whole design and construction process of a project. The latter part of the paper discusses the incorporation of these issues within the Process Protocol, as SMAZ. The paper argues that the key for successful use of SMAZ within the industry is the awareness about the sustainable development among design and construction staff and operatives, knowing the importance of different activities and sub-activities within the SMAZ tool, and motivation to bring changes for betterment within the current day-to-day construction and design processes. The paper towards the end also highlights the areas which need further research and development.

scholarly journals Impact of Migrant Workers on Total Factor Productivity in Chinese Construction Industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gui Ye ◽  
Yuhe Wang ◽  
Yuxin Zhang ◽  
Liming Wang ◽  
Houli Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Total Factor Productivity ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Factor Productivity ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Statistical Yearbook ◽  
The Impact

Total factor productivity (TFP) is of critical importance to the sustainable development of construction industry. This paper presents an analysis on the impact of migrant workers on TFP in Chinese construction sector. Interestingly, Solow Residual Approach is applied to conduct the analysis through comparing two scenarios, namely the scenario without considering migrant workers (Scenario A) and the scenario with including migrant workers (Scenario B). The data are collected from the China Statistical Yearbook on Construction and Chinese Annual Report on Migrant Workers for the period of 2008–2015. The results indicate that migrant workers have a significant impact on TFP, during the surveyed period they improved TFP by 10.42% in total and promoted the annual average TFP growth by 0.96%. Hence, it can be seen that the impact of migrant workers on TFP is very significant, whilst the main reason for such impact is believed to be the improvement of migrant workers’ quality obtained mainly throughout learning by doing.

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