A construction process could be considered as sustainable when it satisfies all the conditions which are required to achieve the sustainable development objectives by using materials which are renewable and consumes less energy and also producing lesser quantities of waste and at the same time delivering all the required benefits 1.
A lot of criteria have to be satisfied if we need to make our construction sector a sustainable one.
Enhance biodiversity- We need to be very judicious in choosing the materials for construction. The usage of resources which are under the threat of extinction should be avoided. This is so vital when it comes to environmental sustainability.
Effective use of resources- We need to ensure that there is no disproportionate consumption of resources. This includes money, construction materials, labour and all other related components.
Support communities- It is so vital to identify the requirements of the stakeholders and involve them in the various processes and meet their needs.
Minimise pollution- Steps should be taken to minimise the use of materials which are potential pollutants.
Healthy environments- It is very vital to provide a work environment which is safe and doesn't cause any health hazards to the occupants.
Managing processes- Proper management is a vital aspect in delivering sustainable projects. Identifying targets, benchmarks and managing their delivery is so crucial 2.
Sustainability issues in construction industry
Corporate Social Responsibility
It refers to the way that organizations respond to the requirements of the stakeholders and ensure that they bring about sustainability in all their activities. Construction industry has been weak in responding to the corporate responsibility concept. But there has been increasing demand for better regulation in areas such as low carbon emissions and better waste management. Thus it is required to formulate a more responsible approach for design and construction. To be socially responsible, companies should focus on the four major aspects namely environment, workplace, community and marketplace 3.
Environment plays a critical role in the success of any construction project. Climate change mitigation needs to be more efficient. Otherwise it will lead to extra costs and time wastage. Another aspect is water management. If there is no proper water management and drainage system, it will result in environment instability thereby hindering sustainability. Waste management is another crucial issue.
Workplace management is another important aspect. There should be a good work environment and the administration should ensure the fair treatment of staff. Corporate Responsibility demands elimination of discrimination.
Community is another factor. A successful CSR strategy requires proper engagement of both local and global communities. It can be seen that construction activities had been a menace to the local communities on several occasions. This is not at all acceptable from a socially responsible firm. It is necessary to consider the issues which affect the communities and also the impact of construction processes on them.
Corporate Social Responsibility is considered to be a vital factor in achieving profitability. A company which operates in an ethical manner by considering all the environmental and social aspects will be able to achieve economic benefit as well. So it is required to introduce these strategies into the supply chain in order to lead a responsible business 3.
Energy, Pollution and Climate Change
The construction industry consumes a lot of energy during the construction phase and also during the operational phase. It is responsible for the emission of a number of harmful substances including several greenhouse gases and waste products. Proper planning and design is very vital in controlling the lifetime energy consumption of buildings and also the waste generation. This is a big challenge within the construction industry as it takes a good effort to manage these wastes in a proper manner without causing any environmental or social impacts. The use of non-renewable resources contributes to climate change through the production of several harmful end products. The need for the efficient use of energy resources is increasing day by day due to the rapid improvements in countries such as India and China 3.
Sustainability in the Existing Stock
The existing buildings are currently inefficient and create greater environmental impacts in terms of energy wastage and also high carbon emissions. The existing UK domestic buildings are responsible for nearly 25% of the UK greenhouse gas emissions and 24% waste generation is from construction and demolition processes 4. Buildings with inefficient energy consumption and operation lead to disproportionate spending by the occupants. Refurbishing the existing stock is a key route to reducing the construction wastes. This is the cheapest and environmentally sustainable way of achieving good quality infrastructure with lowest environmental impact 4.
Materials and Waste
Construction processes generate huge quantities of potentially hazardous wastes and their disposal should be carefully done. The conventional disposal methods such as landfill can cause serious environmental effects. The potential impacts include several social, financial and environmental issues which are having quite a large significance 3.
Skills
Availability of desired skills within the workforce and supply chain can have a positive impact on the sustainability of a business. It can result in better productivity, quality and also better management of the available resources which is a key aspect in order to achieve sustainability 3.
Sustainable Procurement
It is very important to choose products which have the least environmental impacts. The concept of sustainable procurement covers not only these environmental considerations but also the economic and social aspects thereby achieving the best value for money 3.
Water
The construction sector has high water requirements and the main concern is about the unwanted wastages that occur during the various processes. There is a huge demand on water supplies during the manufacture of materials such as steel and concrete. There is further more demand once the building is in use. If this high consumption persists, it will result in the scarcity of water supplies during summer thereby causing great inconvenience 3.
Olympic Development Authority- Sustainable Development Objectives
Reducing carbon emissions
One of the main objectives is to reduce the carbon emissions thereby achieving a more sustainable Olympics. They have formulated three ways to achieve this goal which are
Mean- Minimising energy demand
Lean- Efficient supply of energy
Green- Use of renewable resources
The ODA has taken several major steps to reduce the carbon emissions. More than 75 solar powered crossing lights have been installed across the Olympic park. A more efficient design has been adopted which increased the energy efficiency of buildings by at least 15% when compared to the 2006 figures. Other features include a 16 km pipe network for the Energy Centre, installation of non-hydrofluorocarbon chillers for the cooling system in the Aquatics Centre and many more.
The Olympic Village is a very good example to demonstrate the sustainable activities conducted the ODA. This is the first large-scale development which is constructed according to the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 (CfSH). This village is 44% more energy efficient when compared to the 2006 energy standards and also there is significant reduction in the water consumption. Several innovative building design methods have been adopted in order achieve this high standard. It includes double glazed building design, high levels of insulation and also providing connection to the Energy Centre and the wind turbine thereby reducing the consumption of renewable energy sources.
There were significant strategies adopted during the construction phase as well. Gas generators had been installed instead of diesel generators which resulted in the reduction of emissions by 22%. They had installed an on-site batching plant which made use of recycled materials for concrete production and also resulted in a reduction in the carbon emissions by 42%. A major hallmark of the Olympic Park is that it will be transformed into new homes after the games. This could be very useful in terms of sustainability as this saves a lot of resources and also results in lesser emissions. This will form a part of the Stratford City regeneration scheme 5.
Reducing water usage
Water resource management is one of the major sustainability issues which require greater attention. Areas such as London and south east England has been suffering from high water demand due to several factors such as high population density, high per capita demand and low rainfall. Thus there is a strong requirement on the London Olympics to be more responsible in water resource management.
They have adopted a number of strategies to minimise water usage and increase the water resource efficiency. Several management techniques and water saving technologies has been implemented to reduce water demand. Olympic Park design was developed by providing a flood risk management system and landscaping in order to achieve climate adaptation 6. They have adopted judicious water consumption strategies such as usage of non-drinking water during the construction phase of the project, rainwater harvesting ans also usage of recycled sources of water. They have installed a water network across the park which carries both potable and non-potable water which forms a part of the water demand reduction target 5.
Waste Management
Another major objective of the ODA was to deliver a zero waste Olympics through excellent resource management practices. Proper waste management plays a key role in the sustainability performance of any venture. London 2012 has adopted a six-level waste hierarchy in order to achieve their waste reduction targets. They are
Waste reduction
Reuse of materials
Recycling
Use of new technology
Incineration
Landfill
Priority areas include designing and building Olympic facilities in a waste-efficient manner, minimising the waste generated during the entire lifecycle of a structure, from the construction phase to the demolition phase and also the promotion of low-waste lifestyles through various awareness programmes. It has been decided that no waste will be sent directly to landfill. Instead they will be treated as a potential resource and treated accordingly for reuse by using optimal recycling methods.
There have been significant achievements in terms of waste reduction. They adopted off-site prefabrication in order to minimise construction waste. Their waste management strategies can be of great significance not only in this Olympics but also in the future events. Treatment of wastes as a resource and minimising wastage means that it is more likely to achieve economic, social and environmental benefits.
Material selection
Like any other aspect in a project, material selection plays a key role in determining the overall success of a project. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has been working towards developing a code in order to promote sustainable sourcing. They have developed a secure, web-based system known as "Sedex" which works based on the four key pillars- labour standards, health and safety, business integrity and environmental issues. It enables them to monitor, assess and manage ethical and environmental impacts in the supply chain 5.
ODA has developed four core principles to ensure that they follow a sustainable procurement strategy. The suppliers and licensees are required to adopt these principles so as to ensure that all their activities are in accordance with ODA's sustainability standards. These four principles include responsible sourcing, promotion of secondary materials, minimising embodied impact and use of healthy materials 6.
Responsible sourcing- The suppliers need to demonstrate that their products and services are sourced and developed on the basis of an internationally accepted environmental, social and ethical guidelines. This greatly reduces the risk of unsustainable materials as this policy ensures that the materials used in the project are completely risk free and meets all the requirements to conduct a sustainable Olympics.
Promotion of secondary materials- The ODA has developed a strategy for the reuse of materials which are obtained as scrap during the demolition of existing structures within the Olympic venues and also other nearby sites. According to ODA, at least 20% of the materials will be recycled ones in one way or the other.
Embodied impact of materials- Construction processes generates a lot of carbon emissions and other toxic materials. The ODA aims to reduce the embodied impact of materials by achieving improved resource and energy efficiency.
Healthy materials- The ODA has adopted policies to ensure that the materials used do not cause any health hazard. They have restricted the use of such harmful materials. Steps have been taken to supply low-carbon concrete for the construction phase of the project 5.
Biodiversity and Ecology
Biodiversity conservation is very important to the global economy and it has a key role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, providing sustainable natural resources and so on. London 2012 is committed to ensuring that they follow a responsible and sustainable procedure for the management of natural resources. A 'Biodiversity Action Plan' has been developed which sets a framework for the creation, maintenance and enhancement of new habitats which could be useful in the future 5. They have established several ecological management plans in order to identify the ecological issues that might arise during each stage of construction and to apply proper mitigation policies. The ODA aims to protect the ecological resources where they are found. They have promoted the incorporation of green or brown roofs so as to achieve ecological benefits. They have been doing research on the feasibility of developing cost-effective habitats within buildings in order to preserve natural species. They have decided to use untreated log walls around the construction zones which acts not only as a protective boundary but also as a habitat for the creatures. New fresh water habitats have been created within the Olympic park. Thus this framework helps the ODA to identify the conservation status and issues affecting the habitat and take proper measures for their management 8.
Environmental Impacts
The ODA has developed a considerate approach to construction in order to minimise the environmental impacts of various construction activities. They have made several commitments in order to achieve the required environmental standards. Contractors are required to follow the Considerate Constructors Scheme which requires a minimum score of four out of five in each section, ensuring proper standards. The permanent buildings have been constructed in such a way as to achieve BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEM) excellent rating 5. BREEM is one of the leading environmental assessment methods for buildings. It ensures that the best environmental practice is followed in the construction of buildings so as to achieve an improved working and living environments with lower environmental impacts. It enables them to develop innovative solutions as soon as an environmental issue arises and it also serves as a tool to reduce running costs 9.
Several activities including soil investigations and groundwater treatment have been completed across the Olympic Park. More than 32 internal audits of contractors have been conducted to tack progress so as to ensure that they work according to the approved Environmental Management Plans. Facilities such as online reporting tool have been employed to track contractor performance. They have appointed an Environmental Monitoring Service Provider to keep an eye on noise, air, surface water and groundwater across the Olympic Park. The ODA and its contractors have taken several measures to control dust and particulate emissions across the Olympic Park and other venues. This includes the usage of environmental friendly binders to minimise soil movement, construction of hard-surfacing roads, developing vegetation across the park, use of ultra low sulphur diesel and so on. Whenever there is any rise in the dust levels beyond permissible limits, the local bodies are then informed and necessary control measures are taken. As a result of these practices, the ODA has been quite successful in achieving the expected environmental standards with lower negative impacts.
Supporting Communities
The ODA has made commitments to the long term social, economic and environmental regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley, thereby supporting the local communities with future perspectives. The Olympic Park has been designed with a long-term vision of meeting the requirements of the stakeholders with high priority to accessibility. Permanent bridges have been constructed across waterways, roads and railways in order to make new connections between the Olympic Park and surrounding areas. Overshadowed areas have been avoided and proper lighting installations have been done in order to prevent crimes, thereby supporting the local communities. The ODA has taken necessary measures to protect and retain the cultural and historic features associated with the Olympic park site. They have developed a full list of the architectural elements that are required to be retained and through their pre-demolition audits, they have identified the features that can be recovered and reused.
Transport and Mobility
One of the key features of the Olympic Park design and plans is that its various venues are easily accessible using public transport or cycles or even walking. New rail links and road routes have been created through and around the Park. A new 50 kilometres of cycle routes and 30 kilometres of walking routes have been built which provides easy access with zero emissions. They have followed an environmental friendly approach for material transportation during the construction phase. Their aim is to transport at least 50% of the construction materials by rail and water. The ODA has made commitments with British Waterways, Transport for London, the Port of London and the Department of Transport to determine the scope of material transportation by water 8.
Access
The ODA aims to make London 2012 the most accessible Games to date. The facilities within the Olympic Park and other venues are inclusive for everyone irrespective of cultures and faiths and are highly accessible to disabled people. Inclusive design principles have been developed for the design of Olympic Park and other venues. The ODA has been trying to develop a standard of accessibility which could act as a benchmark in future. Access strategies have been developed for each venue, especially during the design of gradients so as to ensure that all people can reach the venues with ease. There is an Access Forum which reviews all the designs and decides whether they are satisfying the project objectives and requirements. This applies not only to the Olympic Park and other venues, but also to the Olympic Village. All homes have been built in accordance with specific standards and they have provided wheelchair accessibility to these houses 8.
Employment and Business
The London 2012 Games could result in the creation of a lot of employment opportunities before, during and after the Games. They have followed a fair and equal opportunity recruitment strategy. The ODA seeks to ensure that they treat their employees in a fair manner without any discrimination based on age, race or sex. They have developed a fair and transparent procurement strategy. This allows a diverse range of suppliers to be a part of the supply chain including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and businesses owned by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people.
The ODA has been working proactively on a number of employment and training initiatives such as the Local Employment and Training Framework and the Construction National Skills Academy which maximises the productivity and potential for innovation. This provides better access to the employment opportunities presented by the Olympic events. This also enables the contractors to have an access on a diverse and efficient business base and also a diverse skilled workforce. The ODA has been trying to develop a local labour and business scheme which ensures that local people are involved in the Olympic related events such as jobs and other career pathways 8. Additional efforts have been made to support the disabled workers through specialist organizations and contractors. A series of events had been conducted to support small and medium-sized enterprises by making them aware of the business opportunities associated with the Games 5.
Health and well-being
The ODA has a vision to eliminate the health and safety risks associated with the construction, maintenance and use of Olympic Park and other venues, thereby developing a healthy living throughout the games. They have taken steps to develop healthy lifestyles within the communities from the construction phase itself. A broadened Health and Safety approach has been followed whereby they provide healthy lifestyle opportunities to the workforce involved in the project. The new Park is well-equipped with extensive recreational and sporting facilities which help to develop a healthy lifestyle. The ODA has taken necessary steps to ensure that these facilities satisfy the needs of the users and are easily accessible to the local communities.
They had developed a set of health and safety standards which were required to be followed during the construction stage. The design teams were given the responsibility of identifying the opportunities and exploiting them so as to reduce the risks. Identification of hazardous materials were done in the design stage itself and proper reviews were carried out in order to eliminate or minimise their usage. The ODA provides health support for its workers through health education and promotion programmes, specific health appraisals and surveillance and also annual health checks 8.
http://www.sustainableconstruction.co.uk/sustainability.htm
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http://www.constructingexcellence.org.uk/zones/sustainabilityzone/sust_con/issues.jsp
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications/downloads/Sustainable%20Buildings%20R3.pdf
http://www.london2012.com/documents/oda-publications/sustainability-update-full-nov-09-interactive.pdf
http://www.london2012.com/documents/locog-publications/london-2012-sustainability-plan.pdf
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http://www.breeam.org/page.jsp?id=66
