Chapter 6 - Buildings
Chapter 6 – Buildings
Introduction
We
have looked at how engineers currently provide the essentials for life to
society; specifically water and food, and the implications for sustainability
in each. The final necessity of
humankind is the infrastructure to be protected from the elements, a roof over
our heads. The construction industry is
one of the biggest consumers of energy and natural resources, as well as one of
the biggest polluters. The trend in buildings
has been away from long life design characterised in the UK by brick built
Victorian building still sturdy after 100 years to quick and cheap concrete
steel and glass designs, which not only have a high embodied energy, but decay
relatively quickly.
Some
facts about the construction industry:
-
A large proportion of the global GNP is spent on buildings
- Construction and operation of buildings
consumes over a third of the worlds energy and 40% of the worlds mined
resources [see reference 1]
In
the UK Buildings are also responsible for:
• almost half of UK carbon emissions,
• half of water consumption,
• about one third of landfill waste an
• Buildings account for some 52% of total energy use in the UK [see reference3],[see reference 4].
In
the USA buildings contribute to:
• 30% of raw materials use
• 30% of waste output (136 million
tons/year)
• 12% of potable water consumption [see reference 5]
There
is considerable scope for affecting these national statistics by a combination
of careful design, procurement, alteration, refurbishment, replacement, use,
commissioning and maintenance of new and existing buildings used for whatever
purpose. see reference [6]