Environment friendly construction : Sometime in the future, we will reach our oil consumption in the next 20 years. Though, the oil demand has risen as the global production of oil decreases. On top of this, the construction industry requires most of its energy sources from oil based fuels.
Crude oil is relied heavily upon, in the western world and this is especially the case within the construction sector. The reasons for this is because oil is used within the processes that allow construction to occur. Astonishingly, 50% of carbon emissions are produced in the UK by machinery and production within the construction industry.
The UK population is continuing to rise and with it, the government is instructing construction companies that they must use green processes, and they have done this by-passing legislation. Before a construction project begins, construction firms are encouraged to incorporate green technologies within the build to benefit the environment once the construction is complete.
The estimated revenue of eco-friendly construction came to around $245 billion and this is something that could been taken advantage of by UK companies.
With waste management solution for recyclable materials and skips for hire, Reconomy, we look at how eco-friendly practices can be established within any construction site.
Plan of Action
There are three things that should be considered when making the transition to becoming eco-friendly within construction and they are:
- During the construction, is there any energy being wasted? Think about the over use of machinery during the production process, this can lead to expendable energy being wasted and it can never be used again. Hydro-engines should be used to power electric vehicles and machines because when a motor is being overused, the engine can be engaged to cope with the load.
- Once the building is completed, do you think there is any energy generated within it that is wasted?
- Check whether the materials that are used within the project are locally sources or if they’re renewed; if they aren’t can find out whether they can be recycled in the future.
Recycling paper is when material is used as insulation for a roof during and after the construction. Insulation materials are mostly expensive, so If you use cheaper and practical alternatives, the cost of producing insulation for one will be reduced heavily, by using already existing materials. Additionally, using timber sourced from sustainable managed forests in the local area is an option. You could also use reclaimed wood, this is an alternative to chopping down trees that are used within construction.
Environmental structures
Environmentally friendly technology can be implemented in a propose structure in the following manners:
- Solar Energy – This is fast to becoming a cheaper alternative source of two other forms of domestic powers. It can be used to generate electricity within a building or domestically to power boilers and other electrical equipment. You can find out a range of options from suppliers such as Northern Gas and Power.
- Water Filtration and drainage systems – Having these systems in place, water can be re-used when biological waste Is being treated safely, which can be recycled. You can collect rain water in specific drains and storage taps, which is can used instead of relying on water from a tap.
- Low-energy lighting – this can produce energy savings of 100% and they last twice as long as a regular lightbulb.
Benefit from eco-friendly construction
Operation and maintenance cost make up 80% of the buildings overall expenditure. Green initiatives reduce the cost by one third, which is about 53.3% of the building’s running costs.
When designing a building, daylight should always be considered. The more day light that is offered the more that would be saved on artificial lighting and running costs. Daylight can help improve the ‘indoor environment quality’ of the building, and also benefit the health of all the occupants that are present within the building.
Once the building’s construction project has begun, recyclable materials should be used wherever possible. This would benefit because you’ll be using less new materials which will help reduce costs whilst less energy is consumed (from crude oil), in order to produce the structure
Using construction techniques and materials that are beneficial to the environment will possibly slow down the rate of climate change. The construction industry end goal should be to produce homes and buildings that are greener, economically efficient and conceptualised with the environment in mind.
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