Sustainable Construction

The innovative daylighting systems (IDS) seek to maximize the utilization of daylight in building, where the conventional daylighting systems are no more able to meet the illumination requirements. Although many IDS have been commercially produced, none of them managed to penetrate the market strongly. Challenges, such as high initial cost, utilization difficulties, and application limitations, prevent them from widespread use. Most of these challenges can be overcome, but no IDS is likely to overcome all them at once. Alternatively, a number of systems efficiently suit different circumstances is a more practical approach.

""By Mark DeKay. Edited Susanne Bennett

"This book offers practical and theoretical tools for more effective sustainable design solutions and for communicating sustainable design ideas to today's diverse stakeholders.

It uses integral theory to make sense of the many competing ideas in this area and offers a powerful conceptual framework for sustainable designers through the four main perspectives of: behaviours; systems; experiences; cultures.

It also uses human developmental theory to reframe sustainable design across four levels of complexity present in society: the Traditional, Modern, Postmodern, and Integral waves. Profuse with illustrations and examples, the book offers many conceptual tools including:

• twelve principles of integral sustainable design
• sixteen prospects of sustainable design
• six perceptual shifts for ecological design thinking
• five levels of sustainable design aesthetics
• ten injunctions for designing connections to nature."""

Building sustainability assessment methods have been globally in use for more than two decades. Their use initially spread slowly through the larger developed countries, but in recent years we are seeing a rapid development of new, regionally adapted methods. The use of building assessment methods is limited because they developed on the basis of national legislation and local characteristics. In this article, the most important international building sustainability assessment methods BREEAM, LEED, DGNB and SBTool are investigated. With the help of content analysis we closely examine the aim, course and cost of the assessment, the number of certified projects, different assessment schemes, aspects of evaluation and the final certificate presentation. The result is a mutual comparison of individual assessment methods. In the discussion we present some predictions for the further development of building sustainability assessment methods. In the final part we review the situation and the possibilities for the implementation of these methods in Slovenia.

Property development is a highly complex issue with outputs having widespread and long-lasting ramifications that can affect many different stakeholders. Property developers can play a significant role in enhancing the sustainability of urban developments; their activities result in a variety of economic, social and environmental impacts—the three key strands in which sustainable development is couched. This paper presents the development of an assessment and reporting framework for a particular property developer company (PDC). The development of the framework was based initially on a ‘bottom-up’/input-driven process and then on a ‘top-down’/output-driven approach. The problems and advantages of each and the lessons learnt in the development of the methodology are described using a systems methodology. The resulting top-down assessment approach is simple to apply, easy to characterise and relies on the self-assessment of a small number of strategic indicators by project managers. This systems-level approach also made it easier to capture high-level emergent properties of each development project in terms of its contribution to sustainable development. The methodology and assessment framework could easily be adapted for other property developers and construction generally, and so contribute to the creation of a more sustainable built environment.

An alternative approach for decreasing the demand and dependency for crude petroleum/bitumen binders is the use of bio-binders in three different ways: a direct alternative binder (100% replacement), a bitumen extender (25% to 75% replacement), or a bitumen modifier (10% replacement). In this paper, the applicability of developing bio-binders from switchgrass bio-oil fractions to be utilized as a direct alternative has been investigated. The results showed that the relationship between viscosity and temperature and shear rate can be well described by Arrhenius-type and Power law models, respectively, or by a log linear relationship. As an overall conclusion, the rheological properties of switchgrass bio-oils are similar and comparable to bitumen binders and represent a viable renewable alternative to petroleum derived asphalt binders.

The article first describes characteristics of major infrastructure projects. Second, it documents a much neglected topic in economics: that ex ante estimates of costs and benefits are often very different from actual ex post costs and benefits. For large infrastructure projects the consequences are cost overruns, benefit shortfalls, and the systematic underestimation of risks. Third, implications for cost–benefit analysis are described, including that such analysis is not to be trusted for major infrastructure projects. Fourth, the article uncovers the causes of this state of affairs in terms of perverse incentives that encourage promoters to underestimate costs and overestimate benefits in the business cases for their projects. But the projects that are made to look best on paper are the projects that amass the highest cost overruns and benefit shortfalls in reality. The article depicts this situation as ‘survival of the unfittest’. Fifth, the article sets out to explain how the problem may be solved, with a view to arriving at more efficient and more democratic projects, and avoiding the scandals that often accompany major infrastructure investments. Finally, the article identifies current trends in major infrastructure development. It is argued that a rapid increase in stimulus spending, combined with more investments in emerging economies, combined with more spending on information technology is catapulting infrastructure investment from the frying pan into the fire.

"Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand what factors best promote or prevent sustainable construction practices and establish the consistency of how sustainability is measured.

Design/methodology/approach – A literature review considered the impact of the industry to sustainability and identified what action and initiatives are already in place. Through this, the main drivers, barriers, measures and benchmarks were identified. The opinions of building surveying professionals were sought and analysed.

Findings – The paper suggested that fiscal incentives/penalties and regulations help to drive sustainable construction. Such financial implications are consistent with “affordability” being the biggest barrier highlighted. The majority of respondents believed the industry is taking some account of sustainability issues, but identified that more needs to be done.

Originality/value – Sustainable development is an integral part of the lives and affects all aspects of business operations. This paper provides an in-depth insight into the level of sustainable development within the construction industry, identifying implications for both the demand and supply side."

""This paper explores brownfield renewal as a measure of sustainable land use. The aim was to highlight the brownfield redevelopment as a strategy for mitigation of negative effects of
climate changes. Emphasis was put on innovative concepts in brownfield redevelopment, which involve land recycling, application of ecological and sustainable solutions. Main case studies are from Austria. Their analysis and evaluation show which concepts and strategies are used in successful redevelopment projects, and which strategies give the best results. This shows that brownfield renewal can have positive effects on regulation and mitigation of climate changes. Finally, guidelines for climate changes accountable and redevelopment will be derived. Research methodology is qualitative and combined, comprising of data analysis, case studies (field work, interviews with relevant actors), analysis of case studies and evaluation according to previously defined criteria, synthesis of results and generalisation and interpretation of results. ""

L’articolo riporta una serie di riflessioni dedicate all’accezione dei termini “costo” e “qualità” in relazione dell’edilizia dedicata al Social Housing dai programmi di ricostruzione postbellica al periodo attuale. Ciò avviene anche in riferimento all’esigenza di sostenibilità del costruito studiata durante il Workshop della laurea magistrale in costruzione tenutosi nel giugno 2010.

Evolution of environmental sensitivity and spreading of the consciousness of a socially sustainable common acting, economically and technologically, supported by the acknowledgment of a few European and domestic laws, led to definitions of a few local normative tools for the preliminary definition and control of building activity in energy and environment vision. The current experimentations highlight as to make sure that the sustainable building becomes a diffuse and constant practice it is necessary, by the local governments, a deep revision of the methodologies up to today adopted as usual general procedures and in the editing of the urban and implementing planning tools.

New governance is gaining momentum in the addressing of environmental risks. It is often expected that new governance arrangements will achieve higher levels of effectiveness than traditional forms of environmental policy. The current research questions this assumption based on a series of 53 interviews with experts in 15 new governance arrangements in the Australian buildings sector. It finds that these arrangements have, so far, achieved limited success in terms of increased numbers of buildings with high levels of environmental performance. Some lessons are drawn to increase the effectiveness of (future) new governance arrangements.