Built environment research in West Africa current trends and future directions

The countries in West Africa (WA) are pushing for socio-economic development. The construction sector has an important part to play in helping to realise these aspirations. This necessitates an increased emphasis on research in the built environment, as a key contributor to developing capacity, knowledge and technologies for the sector. The West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) conference was initiated in 2008. The objective was to: help young built environment researchers in West Africa (WA) to develop their research work and skills through constructive face-to-face interaction with their peers and experienced international academics; supply a platform for interaction among more senior academics and an outlet for disseminating their research work; and to serve as a vehicle for developing the built environment field in Africa. Three conferences have so far been organised, 2009 - 2011, bringing together ~300 academics, researchers and practitioners from the WA region. This paper draws on content analysis of the 189 papers in the proceedings of three conferences: 2009 (25); 2010 (57) and 2011 (107). These papers provide a window into current research priorities and trends and, thus, offer an opportunity to understand the kinds of research work undertaken by built environment researchers in West Africa. The aim is to illuminate the main research themes and methods that are currently pursued and the limitations thereof. The findings lay bare some of the many challenges that are faced by academics in WA and provide suggestions for alternative directions for future research and development work with indications of a potential research agenda.

Practicing sustainability in PFI project management

This paper investigates the relationship of the project management in Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and sustainability. A live PFI project is selected as a case study, where contract review and monitoring on project management are carried out to evaluate the sustainability of project management. The PFI procurement shows great advantages in increased contractual responsibilities of the contractor in sustainable construction, and also in practicing sustainability in project management. Six main sustainable attributes of the project management are selected to evaluate the sustainability of project management in the PFI project. The project management process in the case study is closely monitored in order to verify how the PFI project promotes sustainability in practice. The project management in the different stages of the PFI project, including tendering, design, construction and operation, contributes to the six sustainable attributes in different ways. The project management in PFI project paid more attention in sustainable development during its whole process. As the private sector is responsible to the whole life of the building project, the project manager has to consider the long-term benefits during the management process. The government should take advantages of PFI project management in practicing sustainability therefore to promote sustainable development of the national infrastructure services.

Comparing the fit between BREEAM assessment and design processes

This paper explores the mapping of the environmental assessment process onto design and construction processes. A comparative case study method is used to identify and account for variations in the ‘fit’ between these two processes. The analysis compares eight BREEAM projects (although relevant to LEED, GreenStar, etc.) and distinguishes project-level characteristics and dynamics. Drawing on insights from literature on sustainable construction and assessment methods, an analytic framework is developed to examine the effect of clusters of project and assessment level elements on different types of fit (tight, punctual and bolt-on). Key elements distinguishing between types include: prior working experience with project team members, individual commitment to sustainable construction, experience with sustainable construction, project continuity, project-level ownership of the assessment process, and the nature and continuity of assessor involvement. Professionals with ‘sustainable’ experience used BREEAM judiciously to support their designs (along with other frameworks), but less committed professionals tended to treat it purely as an assessment method. More attention needs to be paid to individual levels of engagement with, and understanding of, sustainability in general (rather than knowledge of technical solutions to individual credits), to ownership of the assessment process and to the potential effect of discontinuities at the project level on sustainable design.

Deposições irregulares de resíduos da construção civil na cidade de Parnaíba - PI

Pós-graduação em Geografia - IGCE

Técnicas construtivas e procedimentos sustentáveis – estudo de caso: edifício na cidade de São Paulo

The environmental problems generated by construction activity have been widely discussed in Brazil, which has begun to incorporate sustainable building techniques in your ventures. Based on these facts, this work focused on addressing the main characteristics of a sustainable building project. Among them are water conservation, energy efficiency in buildings, managing a construction site with little environmental impact and reuse of materials and construction elements. This work, after the presentation of the main characteristics of a sustainable building project, shows a case study about the implementation of environmental certification LEED Gold level in a large building, located in São Paulo - SP, Brazil. With that, we want to produce a research document about the topic of sustainable buildings

Proposta de adequação à construção sustentável: tecnologias e alternativas para instituições de ensino

Due to the huge impact negative on the environmental caused by the civil construction, the university plays a majorital role in the proposal of studies and projects that aim the sustainable building. Nowadays, it has been noted the great demand for projects which contain a systemic focus in the tripod of the sustainable development, that is to say, more and more the consumers are demanding that the final result of a project contemplate the social, economic and environmental areas. According to the National Industry Confederation (CNI) and the Brazilian Chamber of the Industry and the Construction (CBIS), the goal for 2020 is that the constructions have an environmental performance 20% higher in comparison to the actual one, starting with an index defined by many indicators, such as: water consumption, energy, residues generation and social-environmental performance of the bought products. In this case, the theme of the project comes around the adequation of scholar institutions to the sustainable construction through simple changes of tecnologies and habits aiming the growth of the environmental eficiency of the enterprise and, consequently, the improve of sustainable practices inside the institution. Once the change is proposed, it will be furnished datas liable of reproduction for the adequation of others scholar institutions, according to it's necessity or interest. After the realization of the studies, it was possible to notice that the environmental performance of a scholar institution can be improved through the implantation of tecnologies of fast return in the investment, such as: flow reducers, rain water reuse system, green roof, retrofit of lamps and execution of a photovoltaic system. Besides the fast return of investment, the monthly economy of the applied tecnologies combined can reach 75% when compared to the actual spending with water and electric energy

EDiferentes tipologias de edificação e o ser sustentável mediante o LEED e o CBCS

The principles and dimensions of sustainability concept is increasingly gaining ground within the building industry. Over the past decades, its applicability within the different environments and for different buildings typologies have been study to attend better the present populations and future generations. It is within this scenario that international certifications started to appear. The most famous and developed one being LEED certification system. In Brazil, as a support to the certification and also sustainability practices and conducts, was founded the Brazilian Council for Sustainable Construction (CBCS). The council and the certifications have the objective to disseminate and generate awareness to reduce energy and water consumption, aiming for life quality. Many constructions around de country have already the international certification, which also boost the rise of national certifications with specific criteria for the national context. However, such certificates are mainly destiny for medium and high standard buildings, often as a commercial advantage to explain the high costs. The purpose of this work is to be able to define what is being sustainable in the construction industry, taking for basis, LEED and CBCS. In addition, since there is a significant increase in the production of Housing Social Interest, the other angles will be to analyze how to apply the practices and sustainable technologies for low-cost projects with the objective to balance the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, social and economics.

EDiferentes tipologias de edificação e o ser sustentável mediante o LEED e o CBCS

The principles and dimensions of sustainability concept is increasingly gaining ground within the building industry. Over the past decades, its applicability within the different environments and for different buildings typologies have been study to attend better the present populations and future generations. It is within this scenario that international certifications started to appear. The most famous and developed one being LEED certification system. In Brazil, as a support to the certification and also sustainability practices and conducts, was founded the Brazilian Council for Sustainable Construction (CBCS). The council and the certifications have the objective to disseminate and generate awareness to reduce energy and water consumption, aiming for life quality. Many constructions around de country have already the international certification, which also boost the rise of national certifications with specific criteria for the national context. However, such certificates are mainly destiny for medium and high standard buildings, often as a commercial advantage to explain the high costs. The purpose of this work is to be able to define what is being sustainable in the construction industry, taking for basis, LEED and CBCS. In addition, since there is a significant increase in the production of Housing Social Interest, the other angles will be to analyze how to apply the practices and sustainable technologies for low-cost projects with the objective to balance the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, social and economics.

Rice husk derived waste materials as partial cement replacement in lightweight concrete

In this study rice husk ash (RHA) and broiler bed ash from rice husk (BBA), two agricultural waste materials, have been assessed for use as partial cement replacement materials for application in lightweight concrete. Physical and chemical characteristics of RHA and BBA were first analyzed. Three similar types of lightweight concrete were produced, a control type in which the binder was just CEMI cement (CTL) and two other types with 10% cement replacement with, respectively, RHA and BBA. All types of similar lightweight concrete were prepared to present the same workability by adjusting the amount of superplasticizer. Properties of concrete investigated were compressive and flexural strength at different ages, absorption by capillarity, resistivity and resistance to chloride ion penetration (CTH method) and accelerated carbonation. Test results obtained for 10% cement replacement level in lightweight concrete indicate that although the addition of BBA conducted to lower performance in terms of the degradation indicative tests, RHA led to the enhancement of mechanical properties, especially early strength and also fast ageing related results, further contributing to sustainable construction with energy saver lightweight concrete.

Rice husk derived waste materials as partial cement replacement in lightweight concrete

In this study rice husk ash (RHA) and broiler bed ash from rice husk (BBA), two agricultural waste materials, have been assessed for use as partial cement replacement materials for application in lightweight concrete. Physical and chemical characteristics of RHA and BBA were first analyzed. Three similar types of lightweight concrete were produced, a control type in which the binder was just CEMI cement (CTL) and two other types with 10% cement replacement with, respectively, RHA and BBA. All types of similar lightweight concrete were prepared to present the same workability by adjusting the amount of superplasticizer. Properties of concrete investigated were compressive and flexural strength at different ages, absorption by capillarity, resistivity and resistance to chloride ion penetration (CTH method) and accelerated carbonation. Test results obtained for 10% cement replacement level in lightweight concrete indicate that although the addition of BBA conducted to lower performance in terms of the degradation indicative tests, RHA led to the enhancement of mechanical properties, especially early strength and also fast ageing related results, further contributing to sustainable construction with energy saver lightweight concrete.

Sistemi per la climatizzazione mediante pompe di calore geotermiche e pali energetici

We need a large amount of energy to make our homes pleasantly warm in winter and cool in summer. If we also consider the energy losses that occur through roofs, perimeter walls and windows, it would be more appropriate to speak of waste than consumption. The solution would be to build passive houses, i.e. buildings more efficient and environmentally friendly, able to ensure a drastic reduction of electricity and heating bills. Recently, the increase of public awareness about global warming and environmental pollution problems have “finally” opened wide possibility in the field of sustainable construction by encouraging new renewable methods for heating and cooling space. Shallow geothermal allows to exploit the renewable heat reservoir, present in the soil at depths between 15 and 20 m, for air-conditioning of buildings, using a ground source heat pump. This thesis focuses on the design of an air-conditioning system with geothermal heat pump coupled to energy piles, i.e. piles with internal heat exchangers, for a typical Italian-family building, on the basis of a geological-technical report about a plot of Bologna’s plain provided by Geo-Net s.r.l. The study has involved a preliminary static sizing of the piles in order to calculate their length and number, then the project was completed making the energy sizing, where it has been verified if the building energy needs were met with the static solution obtained. Finally the attention was focused on the technical and economical validity compared to a traditional system (cost-benefit analysis) and on the problem of the uncertainty data design and their effects on the operating and initial costs of the system (sensitivity analysis). To evaluate the performance of the thermal system and the potential use of the piles was also used the PILESIM2 software, designed by Dr. Pahud of the SUPSI’s school.

Sistemi tecnologici innovativi di involucro per il recupero del patrimonio edilizio recente. L'edilizia scolastica nel Comune di Bologna

La ricerca è volta a presentare un nuovo approccio integrato, a supporto di operatori e progettisti, per la gestione dell’intero processo progettuale di interventi di riqualificazione energetica e architettonica del patrimonio edilizio recente, mediante l’impiego di soluzioni tecnologiche innovative di involucro edilizio. Lo studio richiede necessariamente l’acquisizione di un repertorio selezionato di sistemi costruttivi di involucro, come base di partenza per l’elaborazione di soluzioni progettuali di recupero delle scuole appartenenti al secondo dopoguerra, in conglomerato cementizio armato, prevalentemente prefabbricate. Il progetto individua procedimenti costruttivi ecocompatibili per la progettazione di componenti prefabbricati di involucro “attivo”, adattabile ed efficiente, da assemblare a secco, nel rispetto dei requisiti prestazionali richiesti dalle attuali normative. La ricerca è finalizzata alla gestione dell’intero processo, supportato da sistemi di rilevazione geometrica, collegati a software di programmazione parametrica per la modellazione di superfici adattabili alla morfologia dei fabbricati oggetto di intervento. Tali strumenti informatizzati CAD-CAM sono connessi a macchine a controllo numerico CNC per la produzione industrializzata degli elementi costruttivi “su misura”. A titolo esemplificativo dell’approccio innovativo proposto, si formulano due possibili soluzioni di involucro in linea con i paradigmi della ricerca, nel rispetto dei principi di sostenibilità, intesa come modularità, rapidità di posa, reversibilità, recupero e riciclo di materiali. In particolare, le soluzioni innovative sono accomunate dall’applicazione di una tecnica basata sull’assemblaggio di elementi prefabbricati, dall’adozione di una trama esagonale per la tassellazione della nuova superficie di facciata, e dall’utilizzo del medesimo materiale termico isolante, plastico e inorganico, riciclato ed ecosostenibile, a basso impatto ambientale (AAM - Alkali Activated Materials). Le soluzioni progettuali proposte, sviluppate presso le due sedi coinvolte nella cotutela (Università di Bologna, Université Paris-Est) sono affrontate secondo un protocollo scientifico che prevede: progettazione del sistema costruttivo, analisi meccanica e termica, sperimentazione costruttiva, verifica delle tecniche di messa in opera e dei requisiti prestazionali.

Review of assessment, design, and mitigation of multiple hazards

Large parts of the world are subjected to one or more natural hazards, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, tropical storms (hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons), costal inundation and flooding. Virtually the entire world is at risk of man-made hazards. In recent decades, rapid population growth and economic development in hazard-prone areas have greatly increased the potential of multiple hazards to cause damage and destruction of buildings, bridges, power plants, and other infrastructure; thus posing a grave danger to the community and disruption of economic and societal activities. Although an individual hazard is significant in many parts of the United States (U.S.), in certain areas more than one hazard may pose a threat to the constructed environment. In such areas, structural design and construction practices should address multiple hazards in an integrated manner to achieve structural performance that is consistent with owner expectations and general societal objectives. The growing interest and importance of multiple-hazard engineering has been recognized recently. This has spurred the evolution of multiple-hazard risk-assessment frameworks and development of design approaches which have paved way for future research towards sustainable construction of new and improved structures and retrofitting of the existing structures. This report provides a review of literature and the current state of practice for assessment, design and mitigation of the impact of multiple hazards on structural infrastructure. It also presents an overview of future research needs related to multiple-hazard performance of constructed facilities.

A prototype from the Solar Decathlon Competition becomes an educational building in sustanaible architecture

In 2008, the City Council of Rivas-Vaciamadrid (Spain) decided to promote the construction of “Rivasecopolis”, a complex of sustainable buildings in which a new prototype of a zero-energy house would become the office of the Energy Agency. According to the initiative of the City Council, it was decided to recreate the dwelling prototype “Magic-box” which entered the 2005 Solar Decathlon Competition. The original project has been adapted to a new necessities programme, by adding the necessary spaces that allows it to work as an office. A team from university has designed and carried out the direction of the construction site. The new Solar House is conceived as a “testing building”. It is going to become the space for attending citizens in all questions about saving energy, energy efficiency and sustainable construction, having a permanent small exhibition space additional to the working places for the information purpose. At the same time, the building includes the use of experimental passive architecture systems and a monitoring and control system. Collected data will be sent to University to allow developing research work about the experimental strategies included in the building. This paper will describe and analyze the experience of transforming a prototype into a real durable building and the benefits for both university and citizens in learning about sustainability with the building