Sustainability in Civil Engineering - Research Paper Example

Sustainability in Civil Engineering Contents Contents 2 3 Sustainability in Civil Engineering 4 Goals of the research 4 Objectives of the research 4 Approach of the research 4 Introduction 4 Energy efficiency in buildings 5 Green roof technology 7 Modern materials 8 3Rs (reuse, reduce and recycle) 8 Innovation that reduces water consumption 9 Conclusion 10 Works Cited 11 Abstract The demand for resources in the construction industry is far much beyond the environments capacity. Sustainability must be implemented so that the minimal resources can be used economically to sustain the needs of the industry. Measures such as greenhouse technology, water conservation, eco-friendly materials and energy efficiency can be implemented to make the industry more sustainable. Key words: sustainability, efficiency, economic, environment, eco-friendly, natural resources Sustainability in Civil Engineering Goals of the research The research is aimed at understanding the different aspects of sustainability in the field of Building Construction and Civil Works. The research will dig out on factors such as green roof technology, energy efficiency, water conservation, and eco-friendly construction materials. Objectives of the research The research is aimed at showing the importance of sustainability in the construction world. By the end of the research, we expect to have discussed the impact of sustainable construction in Civil Engineering. The relevant examples that will be discussed will show the effectiveness of sustainability and hence sensitize on the need of prioritizing sustainable technologies and methods of construction. Approach of the research The research will look at the various projects that have endorsed sustainability. Analyzing such projects will help show the benefits of sustainable construction in terms of reducing costs of the project and increasing the functionality of the project. The research will also involve a literature review on the various aspects of sustainability to enhance proper understanding of the topic. Introduction Sustainability is defined as a combination of various social, economic and environmental factors relating to the built environment, which are aimed at increasing capacity and improving the quality of living (Haselbach 6). Sustainability increases the effectiveness and competence of projects and hence reducing their costs without interfering with quality of the project. Sustainable construction is also focused on maintaining the quantity and quality of resources and preventing them from extinction. Sustainability in Civil infrastructure creates a condition whereby the environmental, economic and societal well-being of the present and the future is taken into consideration. All sustainable projects are guided by economic growth, environmental conservation and social progress. Energy efficiency in buildings Buildings require varying amounts of energy depending on their functions. In order to achieve sustainability in buildings, energy must be used efficiently. The current sources of energy are not capable of satisfying the current and future generation and therefore it is necessary to minimize energy use. The amount of petroleum available in earth deposits has constantly reduced and hence the cost of energy has skyrocketed. However, different sources of energy such as solar panels and windmills can also provide energy in buildings. By using such technologies in buildings, the cost of energy will significantly reduce and it will help conserve natural resources. Solar panels can be laid on roofs of buildings and can provide the required energy during in all the building operations. Latest technologies such as solar windowpanes can be very beneficial in terms of energy conservation. Modern buildings are made of over 30% glass material. Using solar window panels in such buildings can provide a lot of energy. The GE building in the United States is a good example of a building that has endorsed the concept of using sustainable energy. 80% of the energy used in the building comes from the solar panels. Adopting such technologies would lead to preservation of the available resources as well as reducing the costs of operations in buildings. Energy efficiency not only helps in reducing energy cost but also in controlling environmental damage. Green roof technology Green roof technology refers to the building of roofs that are partially or fully covered with vegetation that is growing on a waterproof membrane (Ma 23). A complete green roof includes the installation of root barriers, a drainage system and an irrigation system for the green roof. Green roofs are a beautifying strategy, investment opportunity and a conservation measure. A green roof cuts down the amount of heat that enters into the building. By minimizing the amount of heat in the building, costs of temperature regulation are saved. Building spends a lot of money in installation of air conditioners that use a lot of energy and are not long lasting. A green roof is less expensive to install, has minimal maintenance costs and can exist for many years. Green roofs repress the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect during the summer season since the light absorbed by the plants would have otherwise being turned into heat energy. Green roof technology helps in balancing the ecosystem since the rainwater stored by the substrate is then taken up by plants and given back to the atmosphere via transpiration and evaporation (Kibert 9). Green roofs have a positive impact to the drainage systems since the amount of storm water running in sewage lines is reduced. Green roofs help in controlling the greenhouse gas emission and hence conserve the environment. Green roofs ensure that there is a balance of atmospheric gases. Depending on the design of the green roof, it can act as a recreation space and generate more income to the building owner. Green roofs are generally attractive and therefore people venturing into real estate can use them to attract customers and benefit economically. Modern materials Over many years, construction projects have over-relied on wood and stones as the main materials of construction. Due to this overdependence, the resources available have continued to decrease, and the environment has been depleted. To attain a sustainable environment, new materials have been developed to replace timber and stones. Plastic is being used in place of timber while building trusses, frames and even ceiling. Plastic is relatively cheap as compared to wood, and hence, it reduces the cost of construction. The ease of fabrication is higher in plastic and compared to wood due to its light nature. This speeds up the rate at which projects are completed. Despite the economic advantage, use of plastic materials has helped salvage the forests that were going extinct. Mining of stones destroys the earth structure permanently, and it reduces the space available for activities such as agriculture. Use of bricks and glass as walling material reduces the destruction of the environment through quarrying. Bricks and glass are also cheap and aesthetically better than quarry stones. Modern materials have proved beneficial economically and environmental friendly (Ma 143). Their nature makes the industry more sustainable 3Rs (reuse, reduce and recycle) The three R’s strategy is aimed at reducing the wastage of resources and thereby conserving the limited resources. The strategy ensures that most of the waste products in the construction industry are reused. The strategy helps in conserving the available resources, energy and filling land spaces that have been created through mining. The 3R’s stand for reuse, reduce and recycle. The environment can be conserved by reducing the amount of waste product. This can be done by ensuring that goods are purchased in bulk so that the amount of waste generated can be collected as a whole and used for another purpose (Kibert 24). For example, when shaping stones, the chipping produced can be used as hardcore and hence it should be done so that all the chipping can be collected and used. The same case applies to sawing timber. Sawing Timer on a large scale ensures that all the sawdust is collected at one point and can be used to manufacture boards. Reusing the waste products helps conserve the environment since no waste in dumped and a certain percentage of the cost is saved. The construction industry should also create emphasis on recycling of materials so that the amount of waste is reduced. In demotion exercises, the project managers in charge should ensure that the materials are reused in another project. The demolished concrete and broken stones can be used as hardcore in another project. Pieces of reinforcement can be taken back to the industries and used in the manufacture of new reinforcement. The whole exercise will avoid bad use and manipulation of the environment resources. Such practices will ensure that the society uses the available resources for a longer period, and the future generations can benefit. Innovation that reduces water consumption Water conservation is a matter of priority when addressing the topic of sustainability in civil engineering. The fittings and sanitary appliances must be installed in such a way that they economize water. Low-flush toilets are recommended since they use a small volume of water. The technology of waterless urinals has helped in moderating the amount of water being used in the urinals. Fittings such as spray taps are essential in reducing water usage in buildings. The drainage systems should be built in such a way that they do not contaminate clean water. They should also be connected to recycling systems so that wastewater can be used for agricultural and cleaning purposes. The design of houses should also be in such a way that a maximum amount of rain water is collected and used (Haselbach 56). Conclusion The volume of resources usable in the world today is not sufficient to satisfy the highly growing and demanding construction industry. Enforcing various policies of sustainability is, therefore, necessary since it has a wide range of benefits. For the available resources to serve the current generation and the future generation, good and sustainable use of the resources should be prioritized Works Cited Haselbach, Liv. Greensource Engineering Guide to Leed-New Construction: Sustainable Construction for Engineers. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Internet resource. Kibert, Charles J. Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Print. Ma, Uly. No Waste: Managing Sustainability in Construction. Farnham, Surrey: Gower, 2011. Print. Read More