Eco-Friendly Construction Methods.
At present, given the mounting concern around this issue, search is underway for innovative methods to build and renovate these structures that are less detrimental to the environment. This is where eco-friendly construction comes into play. These construction strategies increase the efficiency with which resources are used up for construction while minimizing the adverse effects on the environment over the entire life cycle of the structure, which is beneficial by all means.
Green building and the use of green building materials are among the many popular eco-friendly construction methods and now hold an important place in the construction industry since they ensure that a healthy environment is maintained while optimizing the use of the available resources. However, even though the concept of ‘going green’ is a much-hyped topic within business circles, it was not very much practiced until recently.
Green building focuses on the usage of reusable, recyclable and renewable materials as they can be used in more than one project in the same form or in a different form, consequently minimizing waste accumulation. Among all these materials, the most popular green building material is bamboo. Studies have shown that bamboo, either small diameter or splits, can be used as reinforcement in concrete (Hidalgo-López, 2003; Asif, 2009). And this indicates that the strength of bamboo is similar to steel.
Another significant environmentally friendly building material is precast concrete which is much stronger than traditional concrete since it is precisely made in a controlled environment. It also produces less waste when it is manufactured and contains sound insulation properties therefore making it an ideal green building material (Wild, 2017).
In addition to building materials, the roof, being the shield on top, is an essential aspect of every building. By switching from the use of traditional roofs to the modern green roofing systems, a roof can be designed to be environmentally friendly. These roofs, also known as living roofs contain a number of layers built on top of each other, that consists of plant or vegetable matter growing on top of the roof. It is also a great way to utilize the unused room on the roof to create a garden-like space thus providing an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for the owners and everyone else.
Green roofing is classified into two types as intensive and extensive green roofs which vary by the mediums it can hold as well as the labor used to construct and maintain them (What is green roofing?, 2019). Intensive green roofs are ideal for roofs which can withstand the weight of a wide range of plant and vegetable matter since they are much heavier than extensive roofs and are also costly to install and maintain. Extensive roofs, on the other hand are much lighter in weight and are designed to only support the weight of light plant matter making them perfect for houses.
Similarly, another emerging concept that ensures eco-friendly construction is the use of passive solar heating. Passive solar heating permits solar energy to be absorbed through the windows of a structure. This is obtained by using a material that possesses special properties that enables it to accumulate heat during the day and dissipate it at night (De La Rocha, 2019), thereby aiding to bring down heating costs.
Finally, one major issue faced by society is the significant environmental harm caused by construction waste from the traditional building process. However, the advent of 3D printers in the construction industry may translate to zero construction waste in the future as they use exact proportions of material, be it concrete, plastic or metal, to build a specific part of a structure by pasting layers of the material on top of each other, thereby eliminating waste. However, since the traditional concrete takes time to harden, concrete with faster setting properties is used for 3D printing (Jamie, 2018).
All in all, when it comes to eco-friendly construction, the methods available have grown exponentially as a result of technological advancements and the current interest directed towards eco-friendly construction. Nonetheless, all the circumstances should be rationally considered before adopting these technologies paying special attention to the structure’s long-term durability and its ability to provide a pleasing environment for all.
References:
Wild, M. (2017, February 26). How Precast Concrete Is “Greening” The Building Industry. https://earthtalk.org/precast-concrete/
O’Malley, A. (2020, July 6). 3D printing in construction: what are the benefits?. PlanRadar. https://www.planradar.com/3d-printing-in-construction/
Cartwright, D. (2018, October 9). Sustainable Construction: Techniques and Trends. BUILDSOFT. https://www.buildsoft.com.au/.../sustainable-construction...
RoofingCompare. (2019, November 7). WHAT IS GREEN ROOFING?. RoofingCompare.com. https://www.roofingcompare.com/green-roofing.html
Manandhar, R., Kim, J. H., & Kin, J. T. (2019). Environmental, social and economic sustainability of bamboo and bamboo-based construction materials in buildings. Journal of Asian architecture and Building Engineering. 18(2), 49-59. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2019.1595629
Jamie, D. (2018, January 31). 3D Printing: The Future of Construction. https://www.3dnatives.com/.../3d-printing-construction.../#!
(2017, May 30). Top 10 Sustainable Building Methods. senseware. https://blog.senseware.co/.../top-10-sustainable-building...
De La Rocha, I. (2019, September 20). What Is Passive Solar Heating And How Does It Work?. SOLSTICE. https://solstice.us/.../what-is-passive-solar-heating.../
Green roof definition. (n.d). Growing Green Guide. https://www.growinggreenguide.org/.../green-roof-definition/
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