Sustainability in Engineering Design and Construction

Book excerpt: Successfully Measure the Benefits of Green Design and Construction Sustainability in Engineering Design and Construction outlines the sustainable practices used in engineering design and construction operations for all types of engineering and construction projects. Aimed at ushering the engineering and construction industry into embracing sustainable practices and green construction techniques, this book addresses sustainability in engineering design and construction operations from a historical and global perspective, and delves into specific sustainability concepts and processes. The book explains the concepts of sustainable development, corporate social responsibility (CSR), the Dow Jones Global Sustainability Index (DJGSI), key performance indicators (KPIs), corporate sustainability, and the triple bottom line (economic, environmental, and social values in design and construction). Relevant to sustainability in every facet of engineering and construction, it also covers life-cycle environmental cost analysis, discusses sustainable engineering and site selection, the economic considerations evaluated when making sustainability decisions, and explains how to measure and quantify sustainable performance and apply these practices in the real world. It also covers project and corporate level sustainability practices, sustainable construction materials and processes, sustainable heavy construction equipment, traditional and alternative energy sources, provides implementation resources for starting and evaluating sustainability programs, and includes a checklist for measuring the sustainability of construction operations. The text contains detailed information on sustainable construction materials and processes, heavy construction equipment, and traditional and alternative energy sources. It presents information on sustainable designs, selecting sustainable sites, designing for passive survivability, designing for disassembly, and the ISO 14,000 standards. It provides implementation resources for starting and evaluating sustainability programs and a checklist for measuring the sustainability of construction operations In addition, it provides definitions of sustainability terms and expressions, as well as case studies, examples, discussion questions, and a list of supplemental references at the end of each chapter. This book provides information on: Definitions for sustainability terms Sources for locating global sustainability requirements Current sustainability issues Environmental laws related to sustainability and their implications Sustainable design Life-cycle cost assessment models Sustainable practices currently being used in the engineering and construction (E&C) industry Corporate-level sustainability practices Project-level sustainability practices Global sustainability trends and implications Sustainable materials Sustainable heavy construction equipment Traditional and alternative energy sources LEED Green Building Rating System Sustainability organizations and certification programs Sustainability implementation resources A summary of sustainable engineering design and construction