Architecture, Building and Planning - Research Publications
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ItemBarriers to implementation of sustainable construction in India(The University of Melbourne, 2023)Abstract: The Indian construction industry was estimated to be worth three trillion INR in 2022 and is expected to be the third largest construction market by 2025. The industry is responsible for a large amount of energy consumption, which not only contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases, but also adversely impacts resources like land, waterbodies, minerals, and other naturally sourced materials. Hence, implementing sustainable construction practices across the project life cycle is essential to reducing the detrimental impacts of the industry. Despite having 3 green building rating systems (GRIHA, IGBC, and LEED) and adopting certain national level initiatives, there is an absence of a systematic regulatory framework for the incorporation of sustainability principles in the Indian construction industry. It is critical to determine the existing issues that prevail in the industry to address the barriers in a timely manner. This paper determines the critical barriers to incorporating sustainable construction in India by reviewing the academic literature, Environmental Performance Index (EPI), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2022 reports. Unskilled workforce, low productivity, lack of monitoring schemes, inadequate technology, poor team integration and collaboration are the key barriers that are deduced from the systematic literature review. The ongoing national level initiatives and schemes promoting multiple goals of SDGs are also identified. The administrative framework of the Indian construction industry includes ministries, state departments, local authorities, and regulatory councils. Every state in India has building bye laws that differ from those of other states and this has also been identified as a barrier. One of the solutions determined by experts and researchers is for the Indian construction industry to comply with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. In order to accomplish that, policy makers, sustainable construction practitioners, and industry professionals must develop specific grassroot level mitigation factors to counter the key barriers.
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ItemInvestigating the Embodied Energy of Wall Assembly with Various Material Service Life Scenarios(Springer Nature, 2023)Studies have advocated that there is much less research on the impact of embodied energy. Researchers have asserted that a building’s embodied energy can be as high as 60% of the life cycle energy. However, there is insufficient research and understanding of embodied energy impacts and its relationship with material specification and service life. This research aims to fill this gap by investigating the life cycle embodied energy of a villa in the United Arab Emirates with particular emphasis on the wall assembly. The findings show that the embodied energy impact of the wall structure and wall finishes was found to be 19.7% and 11.7% of the villa’s life cycle embodied energy (LCEE), respectively. Alternative material service life (MSL) scenarios for the wall assembly shows that using minimum material service life (MSL) values results in a 54% increase in LCEE of the wall, and 74% increase in the LCEE of the villa. For maximum MSL, the findings show a 27% and 31% decrease in LCEE of walls and villa, respectively. Alternative wall finishes show that wallpaper as a replacement of water-based paint will increase the LCEE of the villa by 28%.
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ItemApproaches for assessing embodied environmental effects during the building design process(IOP Publishing, 2023)Buildings and construction are among the leading contributors towards global greenhouse gas emissions, resource demands, waste, and pollution, placing a massive strain on our natural environment. Until recently, mitigation strategies have primarily concentrated on reductions in operational energy, failing to account for embodied effects; those associated with the manufacture of construction goods, construction activities, and end of life considerations. In recent years, there has been an increased recognition of the growing significance of embodied effects, and the opportunity to reduce these during the building design process. However, life cycle assessment (LCA) tools used to quantify environmental flows are often perceived as being too time-consuming or complicated to incorporate into prevalent building design workflows. The aim of this study was to review approaches for assessing embodied environmental effects during the building design process, including the LCA tools and environmental data used to achieve this. A systematic review was conducted of academic and grey literature. The study identified three main approaches for incorporating LCA into the building design process: simplified LCA, detailed LCA and incremental LCA. Further analysis of these approaches was conducted, based on case studies. General attributes and design considerations were identified, and mapped against the early design, and detailed design stages. A wide variety of LCA approaches were reviewed, responding to various challenges for incorporating LCA into the building design process, with no singular approach able to completely satisfy all requirements. Findings highlight the lack of incremental LCA approaches, and the need for further research to understand how LCA approaches can be better used to improve the embodied environmental performance of buildings during the design process.
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ItemPreliminary study on the use of Big Data for environmental benchmarks of residential buildings in Flanders(IOP Publishing, 2023)Building construction and operation both have a high environmental impact. In Flanders (Belgium), public authorities have defined clear targets for improved building energy performance, but a strategy to reduce construction (embodied) impact is still lacking. Environmental benchmarks based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) have been identified as a means to limit embodied impacts. Such benchmarks are often derived with a bottom-up approach consisting of a statistical analysis of the building stock, which is usually modelled based on a limited set of representative buildings or archetypes. In this paper, a data-driven approach is applied based on building data from the Flemish Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) database. In a recent study, the buildings from the EPB database were clustered based on geometric and energy-related parameters, and for each cluster representative buildings were selected. This resulted in 54 buildings representative of newly built residential buildings in Flanders. The building set distinguishes itself from other existing sets because it was automatically generated from a large building database. Up until now, the EPB building set has only been used to evaluate the financial feasibility of energy performance levels in Flanders. In this preliminary study, an LCA is performed to assess the life cycle environmental impacts of five sample cases in view of benchmarking. The sample includes two detached, two semi-detached, and one terraced house, all solid construction and in line with the Flemish EPB requirements of 2014. The results show that the environmental score of the buildings is comparable to benchmark values obtained based on the analysis of Belgian archetypes. Further, the building geometry and compactness are identified as key parameters, whereas the materialisation has a more limited influence on the environmental impact. Next research steps will focus on the modelling of more cases, including different construction types, energy performance levels, and potential impact mitigation strategies. The study concludes that the EPB buildings are promising to define environmental benchmarks for the Flemish dwelling stock.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableThe Embodied Energy Assessment of Various Building Assemblies in Residential Building Construction(CITC Global, 2022)Energy consumption in the construction and building industry is associated with significant depletion of natural resources, release of greenhouse gases emissions and related environmental impacts worldwide. An understanding of the direct and indirect, operational, and embodied, as well as life cycle consumption patterns due to building architecture plays a major role in reducing the negative impact of buildings. A review of existing literature shows that there is much less research on the impact of embodied energy and there is a need to provide a clear basis to substantiate its veracity. Previous studies on embodied energy have mainly focused on the overall embodied energy of different building types. However, there is limited focus on the embodied energy associated with various assemblies in a building. In efforts to reduce the embodied energy of buildings, it is important to understand the energy associated with various assemblies in a building. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate the life cycle embodied energy (LCEE) consumed by various building assemblies in a residential building to provide relatable data for professionals. The findings indicate two levels of interest; firstly, life cycle embodied energy of the case study was found to be 13096.47 GJ with the initial embodied energy being 7390.5 GJ (56%) and the recurrent embodied energy was 5690.01 GJ (43%). Secondly, the study presents the embodied energy impacts of various building assemblies and revealed that while the wall assembly was highest, responsible for 25% of the LCEE, the floors contributed 18% and the roof, 6%. The study reveals the significance of embodied energy consciousness in envelope design, as well as the design and specification of building assemblies.
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ItemTrends in residential sustainability measures in the state of Victoria(IOP Publishing Ltd, 2022)Buildings require a significant quantity of energy and water during their operation. Solar water heaters and rainwater tanks have become increasingly common to reduce the demand for fossil-fuel based energy and mains water within buildings. Since 2006, the Victorian Building Authority has required either a rainwater tank or solar water heater to be installed in any new house built in Victoria, Australia. This research analyses the trend in adoption of these two systems using data from building permits issued from 2006 to 2019. This shows that despite an initial preference for rainwater tanks, solar water heaters have been the preferred choice. This preference was found to be greatest for projects costing from $200k-$600k and for allotment areas smaller than 500 m2. Preference for rainwater tanks tended to increase in line with an increase in project cost and allotment area, and this preference was found to be most common in metropolitan areas. This study provides insight into the opportunities for further adoption of solar water heaters and rainwater tanks, including using information at the LGA level to develop specific business opportunities or to inform policy, such as alternative water efficiency solutions for households where allotment area may limit rainwater tank adoption.
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ItemTrends in Residential Building Materials in the State of Victoria(IOP Publishing Ltd, 2022)As the population in Victoria continues to grow, there has been a corresponding increase in building approvals across the State. Houses characterised as low-rise residential buildings often take the largest share of these approvals, with incessant residential building activities being driven by record low interest rates. Low-rise residential buildings comprise various building forms that use a number of specified construction materials to construct the building envelope and other structural and non-structural elements. As materials used for constructing residential building envelopes continue to evolve, these materials must be fit for purpose, and satisfy design criteria and performance requirements, while being aesthetically pleasing. This research analyses the trend in construction materials used in building envelopes of low-rise residential buildings using data from building permits issued between 1996 to 2019. The trend analysis shows that traditional double brick wall systems and suspended timber floors have reduced in popularity for houses built in the 21st century. The analysis also shows that brick veneer wall cladding systems built over slab-on-ground footings is the dominant construction form while the roof cladding material is influenced by geographical location. Insights from the data analysis indicate very little innovation has emerged in materials for residential building envelopes despite its crucial role in providing thermal comfort for inhabitants. Results from this research will serve as a basis to provide quantitative assessment of the trend in materials resource; provide insights about the impact of new building envelope products on existing industries; and perspectives on materials for future building envelopes.
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ItemTowards a comprehensive framework for integrating embodied environmental flow assessment into the structural design of tall buildings(ANZAScA, 2021)Urgent changes are needed in the construction industry to meet short term mitigation goals for climate change. Traditionally, operational environmental flows have been the primary focus of regulations and current attempts to improve the environmental performance of buildings. However, studies have revealed that embodied environmental flows are often underestimated and rarely considered. Embodied environmental flows are particularly significant in the structural systems of tall buildings due to the substantial influence of wind and earthquake loads on structural material requirements.
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ItemLife Cycle Energy Analysis of a House in UAE(ZEMCH Network, 2022)In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about 70% of total energy produced is consumed by building sector, and this compares with the global average of about 40%. Energy usage in buildings has often been discussed from the standpoint of operational energy, mainly used for purposes of heating or cooling. In recent times the discussion on building energy consumption has also raised the need for investigating the energy embodied in the construction of buildings and manufacturing of their constituent materials and components. This reorientation of energy consciousness in the construction industry is of critical importance in efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of the built environment. In United Arab Emirates, significant efforts have been made in recent times to reduce the operational energy consumption; however, embodied energy consumption is nearly unaddressed. The challenge this paper addresses is the need to review not only the operational (OPE) energy of a building but also its initial (IEE) and recurrent embodied energy (REE). The aim of this paper, therefore, is to calculate the energy consumption of a residential building over its life in UAE, and to identify the significance of embodied energy. A case study residential building in the UAE was selected as a representative example of government-built homes for UAE citizens for the purpose of this investigation. Using an input-output hybrid approach to calculate the energy required at the time of its construction and REE value calculated over a period of 50 years, the study compares the IEE, OPE and REE for the case study to extrapolate comparative data. Results from this study suggest the importance of including the initial and recurrent embodied energy of buildings in building life cycle energy analyses, which in this case represented 18% and 17% of the life cycle energy of the building. The anticipated merit of this study to building professionals is an appreciation and holistic consideration of the life cycle embodied energy of building design towards promoting a reduction in total building energy consumption.
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ItemGreenhouse gas emissions performance of cross laminated timber construction using hybrid life cycle assessment(The Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA), 2020)Numerous studies have investigated the environmental benefits of cross laminated timber (CLT) construction in comparison to conventional construction, typically using a life cycle assessment (LCA). Yet, there is a need for further in-depth analysis of the environmental performance of CLT construction using a more comprehensive approach, in order to provide a more realistic estimation of the potential for CLT construction to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with buildings. This research aims to fill this knowledge gap by conducting a streamlined life cycle assessment to quantify embodied GHG emissions, using hybrid coefficients from the EPiC Database, for a real case study; a five storey multi- residential CLT building about to be constructed in Melbourne, Australia. The new knowledge will provide some of the critical knowledge that is currently lacking in relation to the life cycle GHG emissions performance of CLT construction and the potential for this form of construction to reduce GHG emissions associated with the construction industry.