Sustainable Manufacturing in Construction

Dear Colleagues,

Buildings and infrastructure consume a significant amount of energy and materials during their construction, which has resulted in a high demand for finite natural resources and disruption of the relationship between ecosystems and human wellbeing. This sector alone is responsible for more than 50% of steel production, 60%–70% of cement production, 50% of urban land utilization, and 40%–50% of the total energy consumption [1]. The extraction of these nonrenewable resources is increasing the ecological footprint, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, waste generation and, most importantly, leaving inadequate resources for our future generations. In addition, buildings contribute to emission of around 25% of global warming gases, resulting in increased drought, bushfires, sea level rise, and heatwaves and ultimately affecting adversely our economy, livelihood, and normal life [2].

Sustainable manufacturing in construction thus focuses on six principles: conservation, reuse, recycle/refurbish, protection of flora and fauna, generation of nontoxic products/wastes, and a high quality of life. Construction techniques, alternative resources/materials, and building practices have evolved over the years, and with the increased need for sustainability or resource conservation for the future generation, new methods of construction need to be developed. There are two key approaches of sustainable manufacturing in construction: the materials that are used and the methods that are utilized.

One of the useful ways to achieve sustainable manufacturing in construction is through the materials that are used. Materials selection plays a pivotal role in reducing the global warming impacts of the buildings. Industrial byproducts and wastes have the potential to significantly reduce the use of energy intensive virgin materials for construction purposes. The prefabrication method has been considered an effective alternative to conventional building. It has gained an increasing amount of attention over the last few decades as materials and building components can be disassembled and reused after the end of life. Several multifunctional prefabricated systems are being developed to reduce the consumption of different types of materials and increase building efficiency. Passive design (e.g., natural ventilation and illumination, building orientation, selection of appropriate materials for a specific climate condition, maximizing solar energy to heat spaces) that maximizes the use of natural energy sources could reduce the consumption of energy while maximizing human comfort. The new buildings can have photovoltaics (PV) integrated in the building envelope. Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) contributes to achieving this goal by fully utilizing building surfaces, such as the roof or façade, and to maximize electricity generation. Apart from these sustainable manufacturing approaches, different sustainability assessment tools can used to discern sustainable construction. For example, lifecycle assessment (LCA) can be used to evaluate the environmental, social–economic, and resource impact of building components or even the whole building during their entire life cycle. It can help design buildings for disassembly, remanufacturing, reuse, and recovery. In addition, LCA can produce Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to make the environmental performance information of buildings accessible to building professionals.

This Special Issue is aimed to cover following topics that are relevant for achieving sustainable construction.

• Prefabricated/modular buildings
• Passive design
• Building integrated photovoltaics
• Net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs)
• A new generation of stronger, lighter, and more sustainable building materials
• Application of LCA/EPD in sustainable construction

References

1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.07.118
2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.102109

Dr. Wahidul K. Biswas
Guest Editor

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