Today’s society is growing more and more conscious about its environmental impact. We have seen the effects that litter and deforestation is having on the planet. The construction industry has historically been a major culprit in the destruction of nature as it has built and created concrete jungles. However, in today's society, construction companies are making major strides forward in promoting environmental sustainability.
More and more construction companies are beginning to use efficient building materials. This not only includes recycled materials, but energy efficient materials. Heating and air conditioning are some of the biggest consumers of energy in the United States. By using more efficient insulators, construction companies are helping to cut down on this cost. Another improvement in building materials is the rise of sustainable materials. One example of this is bamboo plywood. Because of bamboo's growth rate, this material is extremely sustainable.
Modern building design emphasizes the use of natural lighting. Natural light cuts down on the need for electrical lighting which saves energy. Unfortunately, this can increase the energy that is required for cooling. Engineers have worked to reduce this through the use of reflective windows and indirect lighting. Other features of environmentally friendly design include, natural ventilation and passive solar heating.
If you’ve ever been near a construction site, you’ve undoubtedly seen and heard the equipment that they use. Their equipment is big, loud, and uses a ton of energy. Fuel and electrical costs for construction equipment end up costing construction companies a fair amount of money. This has prompted them to investigate the use of more efficient machinery and tools. One of the biggest areas that this can be seen is in transporting materials to and from the sight. Construction companies have begun to invest heavily in trucks that can pull more while consuming less. Have you ever wondered why you see flatbed trucks hauling backhoes around? It’s because they consume far less fuel than the backhoe would if it drove itself.
Reducing waste is one of the most important steps to environmental sustainability. Construction companies are beginning to take pride in not wasting their materials. Heavy emphasis is made on proper planning and estimations so that this can be achieved. Down below you can learn about some of the important developments in BIM and JIT that talk even more about this.
Unfortunately, there will always be some amount of waste. Green construction companies make sure to protect the environment by using hoppers to prevent littering. Bottom dump hoppers leave a smaller footprint than conventional hoppers. This has led to their growing use because they have less of an impact on plants and the environment when they are set up.
It used to be the case that all the left-over material from a construction job eventually made its way to the dump. In modern construction, there is an emphasis placed on reusing as much material as possible. Steel is one of the most commonly recycled materials. It can be melted down and reformed into all sorts of building pieces. Concrete can also be recycled. It is commonly crushed and then used as crushed stone in other industries.
A growing trend in the construction industry is the use of prefabrication. With prefabrication, parts are fabricated in a factory rather than at the construction site. They are then shipped to the construction site for assembly. This results in far less waste and more recycled materials. Because parts are created in a controlled environment, their quality and accuracy are higher. This virtually eliminates the waste caused by construction mistakes.
Prefabrication is commonly used to create small homes as well as concrete moldings for larger projects. As more and more steel parts move to prefabrication, there is less and less need for on-site cutting and welding. This again reduces a lot of the waste that is so commonly found on construction sites.
One of the biggest reasons that there is so much waste in the construction industry is due to poor material estimations. Not having enough material can seriously slow down a project. This is usually far more costly than having excess material. For this reason, there is a tendency to order far more material than is necessary and then scrap the excess. Building Information Modeling (BIM) programs are software systems that are being developed to address this issue. BIM software is allowing for much more accurate material requirement estimations to be made. This is helping to save money for construction companies and save the environment.
With BIM systems on the rise, the way has been paved for just-in-time production management to flourish. This practice constitutes buying just what a customer wants, when they want it, and in the amount they need it. This greatly reduces the amount of material that needs to be transported to and from a site which reduces carbon emissions from transport vehicles. Whereas previously large quantities of material would be delivered to the construction site and sit there until they were carted away at the end, now only what is needed for a day or maybe a week's work is on the site at a time. Smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles can bring more materials as necessary.
Lumber companies are a major part of the construction industry. Although they may not be actively building, their business is to provide the materials that construction companies need. The world’s first lumber companies operated by simply chopping down trees and moving along as forests were depleted. These days, lumber companies work hard to give back to nature whatever they take. Whenever a tree is cut down, modern lumber companies will plant at least one if not two more trees. They have discovered that this environmentally minded business model is actually more profitable for them.
As you can see, a lot is being done to make construction more sustainable. Even if you aren’t in the construction industry, there are ways that you can help. If you are needing a home or commercial building built, try to contract with a company that is making a concerted effort to go green. This will help more companies jump on the bandwagon and be more environmentally friendly.
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