The Practicality of Sustainable Development in Construction

The implementation of sustainable construction practices aims to reduce the environmental impact of development without hindering the economic or social growth of society and industry. An analysis of sustainable construction was conducted to understand the viability, environmental and economic impacts of sustainable building practices. The research indicates sustainable construction offers substantial economic and environmental advantages. However, the construction industry has yet to universally adopt sustainable practices. The solutions I have determined to help foster the adoption of sustainable construction include enhanced planning and design, implementing waste management, educating industry professionals and increasing public awareness about the benefits. The research and recommendations in this project prove the hypothesis and offer solutions that, when implemented will benefit society.

Construction of a Sustainable City Park in Ruddle, WV: A Model for Sustainable Park Design in Humid Climates

Three sustainable projects were studied under a sustainable park model for humid climates to determine where their costs lie in terms of installation, maintenance or both. These projects included the use of solar lighting to replace every configuration of conventional lighting, inclusion of a water garden/bog filter and Riparian Buffer System for the purposes of filtering sediments and nutrients out of runoff to prevent contaminated runoff from reaching the river that was adjacent to the park model location and construction of a LEED-inspired building to serve as the concession stand/restrooms building. The aggregate cost savings of instituting all three projects over ten years was $74,120 and the entire project paid itself off in approximately four years.

In Situ Bioremediation Methods for Petroleum Pollutants in Soil: A Training Manual for Construction Companies

Construction companies are interested in adopting environmental methods, such as in situ bioremediation, when conducting remediation at petroleum contaminated sites. This interest is due to both the cost benefits associated with in situ bioremediation methods and the environmental movement. This project creates a comprehensive manual comprised of information about site investigations, treatability studies, design, and implementation of in situ bioremediation at petroleum contaminated sites. The training manual also provides information about regulatory requirements and permitting for petroleum contaminated sites.