LO 3: Understand sustainable construction techniques that

are fit for purpose

An introduction

Fit for Purpose

The design specification and materials used for a development must be capable of withstanding any normally damaging effects like:

Weather – flooding – actions of occupants – stresses imposed by whatever the building is used for, like machines in a factory

Fit for Purpose

All of these factors must be taken into consideration at the design state of a development. For sustainable construction the factors need to include the environmental cost of the materials as well as the maintenance costs – as BTEC says:

BTEC says:

“to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

How to specify fit for purpose?

Fit for Purpose - specification

Materials are tested and awarded standards that indicate their usefulness in specific applications, those standards include:

British Standards – under Royal Charter BSI Group produce standards for materials; goods and services and award them a charter mark; the BSI kite mark

More Fit for Purpose Standards

The European Committee for Standardisation, provides Europe wide standards of conformity; all products have to gain a CE mark so that they can be placed on the market in the European Economic Area

More Fit for Purpose Standards

Manufacturers and insurance companies produce their own standards too, such as:

Zurich’s “Solid Foundation Building Guarantees Technical Manual”

National House Building Council – NHBC provides annually updated standards that includes materials, techniques and legislation

Sustainable Methods/Techniques

Sustainability requires that the construction industry uses energy and materials that are renewable and reusable

Renewable like wood, bio-fuels, tidal or wind power and

Reusable like sectional steel, concrete slab, hardcore, etc.

Energy Reduction Techniques

Reduction of energy used – employing wind turbines and photo voltaic cells (solar panels for electricity) in the completed developments

Specify grade A energy efficient appliances, use low energy lighting, sun tubes, skylights, etc.,

Fitting thermal insulation, reduce air leakage into/from buildings, condensing boilers that recover heat from the exhaust gasses

Sustainable Energy Techniques

Recovering energy by use of heat pumpsSolar panels built into roof tilesGeothermal energy from deep in the EarthWave turbines – energy from waves not tideHydro-electric schemes dams/tidal

There are others…

Sustainable Materials

Sheep’s wool thermal insulation

Recycled paper for insulation

Cedar timber cladding for insulation

Selected plants for green roofs – insulating

Engineered timber sections – wooden “I” beams that are light but strong

Waste Based Techniques

Waste is costly, not just in terms of money but through the cost of transporting to and from site and in landfill disposal

Managing the delivery of just enough materials is the best way to reduce this waste but it will still occur at times. There are processes and techniques that demand spare material for safety and efficiency of workers

Waste Based Techniques

If the site is big enough a heat and power generator can be used to dispose of sawdust and wooden off cuts reducing power required from the National Grid

Materials cast off by one site can go to another local site

Waste Avoidance

Excellent management can reduce waste

Accurate ordering of materials

Training to avoid waste

Coordinating modular dimensions throughout the industry leading to there being virtually no off cuts

Recycling

Examples of recycling include:

crushed concrete from demolition being used for in-fill

Crushed slates and similar materials mixed with adhesive to create new slates

Glass recycles into a range of products including non-itch glass fibre insulation

Efficient Construction Techniques

Off-site construction allows the factory style production of component parts for entire buildings – making modular building components reduces waste, increases efficiency and reduces cost

Materials are delivered to an industrial area, waste is recycled by related industries locally and provision is built into the factory for the extraction and collection of dust

Continued…

Efficient Construction Techniques

The structures are manufactured under ideal environmental condition, creating modules that are assembled on-site

Modules/component parts can be delivered to the sit just in time (JIT) for the relevant skilled workers to assemble the modules

JIT construction reduces disruption to local residents, reduces noise, dust, etc.

Modular homes can be completed in very short times, simply delivered on-site and bolted together they can be weather proof very quickly

Task 1

Find an energy based sustainable construction method – possibly from this document – and show how you would employ the method while ensuring the construction would be fit for purpose.

Hint – imagine you are building a single storey farm store with lights but no heating, would you use wind turbines, solar power, tidal

Task 2

Explain the use of a materials based sustainable construction method that is fit for purpose

Hint: imagine yourself ordering thermal insulation for a school building, what would you order and how would you make sure it was fit for the purpose

Task 3

You have been given the task of managing the waste produced by the demolition of an old school (say CWC’s old building) it is made of concrete, glass and steel. It is a large site with room for machines where the car parks are

Hint: it is only waste if you cannot think of someone else who wants it – BUT – you cannot give to a contractor who will dump it on a farm (that wouldn’t be fit for purpose)

and Finally…

Assignment three – the third and last of Unit 2, is in the usual place:

http://gillain.co.uk/CWC/

You are due to start the assignment in the week starting 12 December

I will be expecting the completed assignments before 20th of January 2012 and we start

Unit 29 – Construction in Civil Engineering

In the week of 9th January 2012