POSSIBLE STRATEGIES

THE GUIDANCE FLOWCHART

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 3.1: SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION:
POSSIBLE STRATEGIES
1. Procurement: Specific procurement strategies to ensure sustainable construction
requirements are addressed.
2. Site / Environment: Methods to reduce the environmental impact of construction on the
project site and surrounding environment are identified.
3. Material Selection: Identifies environmentally friendly building materials as well as
harmful and toxic materials that should be avoided.
4. Waste Prevention: Methods to reduce and eliminate waste on construction projects are
identified.
5. Recycling: Identifies materials to recycle at each phase of construction and methods to
support the onsite recycling effort.
6. Energy: Methods to ensure and improve the building’s energy performance, reduce energy
consumed during construction, and identify opportunities to use renewable energy
sources.
7. Building and Material Reuse: Identifies reusable materials and methods to facilitate the
future reuse of a facility, systems, equipment, products and materials.
8. Health and Safety: Methods to improve the quality of life for construction workers are
identified.
9. Indoor Environment Quality: Methods to ensure indoor environmental quality measures
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during construction are managed and executed properly.
 SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION:
POSSIBLE IMPLEMENTATIONS?
Construction Project Management Facilities Management
Construction Management
Site Management
1.Procurement
2.Site / Environment
3.Material Selection
4.Waste Prevention
5.Recycling
6.Energy
7.Building and Material
Reuse
8.Health and Safety
9.Indoor Environment
Quality

Construction
3+4+5+6+7+8+9 Decommissionin
Planning Design Procurement Site Handover
5+7 Liability period g
3+5+6+7 3+4+5+6+ 1 activities 5+7 6+7
7 started
2+4+5+7+8+9
5
AN EXAMPLE FOR EACH POSSIBLE STRATEGIES
1. PROCUREMENT !
 Procurement is a term which describes the activities
undertaken by a client or employer who is seeking to
bring about the construction or refurbishment of a
building.
 It is a mechanism which provides a solution to the
question: "how do I get my project built?“

(The Joint Contracts Tribunal Limited, London)

1. PROCUREMENT ! (cont.)
 USE SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT
 “Sustainable procurement helps ensure value for
money and lower operational costs whilst protecting
the environment and bringing us wider societal
benefits.”
Lord de Mauley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Resource Management, the
Local Environment and Environmental Science (at the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), 2012, London.
 1. PROCUREMENT ! (cont.)
 Processes of Sustainable Procurement (based on London Olympic 2012):
a. Pre-procurement:
• Early engagement with the supply chain: communication of opportunities, which allowed
identification of best practice as well as innovative products, materials and suppliers;
• Communication of contract opportunities to potential suppliers.
b. Tender Specifications:
• Developing a comprehensive design brief with sustainability requirements fully
integrated.
c. Pre-qualification:
• Use of appropriate selection criteria: it focused on past contractors/suppliers performance
but it helped on some aspects of sifting bidders.
d. Award Stage:
• All tenders had a set of award criteria that included sustainability and were evaluated on
the basis of most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). The environmental
sustainability assessment formed part of the technical evaluation.
e. Contract Stage:
• Contract requirements, including detailed sustainability requirements (may integrate
GBI). (Further reading: London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games; The Legacy: Sustainable
Procurement for Construction Projects: A Guide)
2. SITE / ENVIRONMENT !
 SHIFT of excavation and pre-fabricated part
transportation to site from truck to railway.
 90% or more avoided truck kilometers (transport of
excavation and pre-fabricated parts), reduction of 54 to
67% in Nox-emissions.

(Further reading: NYC

Global Partners’
Innovation Exchange,
2010.)
3. MATERIAL SELECTION !
 USE LOCALLY AVAILABLE:
 Building materials, components, and systems found
locally or regionally saving energy and resources in
transportation to the project site.
 BUY LESS TOXIC BUILDING MATERIALS:
 Avoid thermostats that contain mercury, pressure-
treated lumber, and any products made of polyvinyl
chloride (PVC, commonly known as vinyl).

(Further reading: California

Department of Resources Recycling
and Recovery (CalRecycle), 2012, &
INFORM, Inc., 2012)
4. WASTE PREVENTION !
 Design for durability and adaptability:
 Ensure a building's maximum ability to accommodate
future technological advances and other changing
needs.
 Design for disassembly:
 Buildings that can be altered easily are more likely to be
renovated than torn down and replaced. Designing
spaces for easy disassembly also facilitates the
reclamation of construction materials for reuse and
recycling.
 Use IBS (Integrated Building System).
(Further reading:
INFORM, Inc., 2012)
5. RECYCLING !
 Construction waste recycling is the separation and
recycling of recoverable waste materials generated
during construction and remodeling.
 Fact: 8,000 lbs (3,628kg) of waste are typically thrown
into the landfill during the construction of a 2,000
square foot (28x72”) home.
 USE ON-SITE SEPARATION

(Further reading: Sustainable Sources,

USA, 2013, & NYC Global Partners’
Innovation Exchange, 2010)
6. ENERGY !
 Energy Efficiency can be maximized by utilizing
materials and systems that meet the following criteria:
 Materials, components, and systems that help reduce
energy consumption in buildings and facilities.
 Ex.: use LOW VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)
Paints.
 ‘Energy Star’ logo, to go with approved items!

(Further reading: EPA Energy Star, USA,

2013, & Silicon Valley Home Real Estate
Experts Inc., 2013)
7. BUILDING & MATERIAL REUSE !
 Many materials can be salvaged from demolition and
renovation sites and sold, donated, stored for later use,
or reused on the current project.
 Typical materials suitable for reuse include:
 plumbing fixtures,
 brick,
 ceiling,
 floor tiles,
 wood.
(Further reading: United States Office of Solid
Waste Agency, Environmental Protection and
Emergency, October 2009)
8. HEALTH & SAFETY !
 Protecting worker safety and health is
sustainability!
 Use RATING SYSTEM.
 Ex.

(Further reading: Sustainable

Construction Safety & Health
(SCSH), 2013)
9. INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
QUALITY !
 PARTICULATE MATERIAL such as dusts and fibers
are likely to be produced during construction and
renovation activities.
 Assure that construction/renovation workers are
equipped with any necessary personal protection
equipment (PPE) such as N95 respirators, gloves, eye
wear, head gear, and steel-toed boots.

(Further reading: Centers for

Disease Control and
Prevention, USA, 2013)
10. OTHER STRATEGIES !
 Please read further:
 UK Government, Strategy for Sustainable Construction,
June 2008.
PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE
STRATEGIES !
 All the strategies may be implemented;
 before,
 during,
 after,
 throughout, construction project lifecycle!
PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE
STRATEGIES ! (cont.)
Construction Project Management Facilities Management

Construction Management

Site Management

BEFORE DURING AFTER

THROUGHOUT
GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI)
CONSTRUCTABILITY
VALUE CONSTRUCTION
LEAN CONSTRUCTION
GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI)

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GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI) (cont.)

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GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI) –
RATING SYSTEM

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 GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI) –
RATING SYSTEM (cont.)
1. Energy Efficiency (EE):
 Improve energy consumption by optimizing building orientation, minimizing solar heat gain
through the building envelope,
 harvesting natural lighting, adopting the best practices in building services including use of
renewable energy,
 and ensuring proper testing, commissioning and regular maintenance.
2. Indoor Environment Quality (EQ):
 Achieve good quality performance in indoor air quality, acoustics, visual and
thermal comfort.
 These will involve the use of low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials,
application of quality air filtration, proper control of air temperature, movement
and humidity.
3. Sustainable Site Planning & Management (SM):
 Selecting appropriate sites with planned access to public transportation, community
services, open spaces and landscaping.
 Avoiding and conserving environmentally sensitive areas through the
redevelopment of existing sites and brownfields (contaminated land by low
concentrations of hazardous waste or pollution, and has the potential to be reused
once it is cleaned up).
 Implementing proper construction management, storm water management and
reducing the strain on existing infrastructure capacity.
GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI) –
RATING SYSTEM (cont.)
4. Materials & Resources (MR):
 Promote the use of environment-friendly materials sourced from sustainable
sources and recycling.
 Implement proper construction waste management with storage, collection
and re-use of recyclables and construction formwork and waste.

5. Water Efficiency (WE):

 Rainwater harvesting, water recycling and water-saving fittings.

6. Innovation (IN):
 Innovative design and initiatives that meet the objectives of the GBI.
GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI) –
CATEGORIES

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GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI) –
SCORES

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GREEN BUILDING INDEX (GBI) –
CLASSIFICATION

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CONSTRUCTABILITY
 Constructability is “the capability of a design to be
constructed.” (from The Construction Management
Committee, 1991; by Koskela, 1992).
 One of a project management technique for reviewing
construction processes from start to finish during the
design/pre-construction phase.
 It will identify obstacles before a project is actually
built to reduce or prevent error, delays, cost overruns,
wastages, etc..
 Sustainable construction can be implemented within
constructability with better outcomes.
CONSTRUCTABILITY (cont.)
 Constructability reviews are easily managed for projects
where the contractor is determined beforehand.
 The preferred contractor is engaged at the first client
briefing stage and is involved all the way through the
design phases.
 The contractor is an integral part of all design meetings
and reviews all documents, plans, drawings, specifications,
tender documents and procurement schedules.
 Further reading:
 R. Mohamad Zin et.al., APSEC-ICCER 2012, 2 – 4 October 2012,
Surabaya, Indonesia.
 The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand Incorporated
(IPENZ), Practice Notes: Constructability, 2008.
VALUE MANAGEMENT (VM)
 VM is a systematic and innovative methodology with a
multi-disciplinary approach targeted to achieve better
value of construction products through decision
making process.
 The fundamental contribution by the VM technique is
to eliminate the unnecessary cost which does not
contribute to the value of the services, products,
systems and that obviously includes the construction
projects.
VALUE MANAGEMENT (VM) (cont.)
 In many cases, the parties involved in the planning and
design development tend to work in ‘silos’.
 Value Management provides a very effective tool to
integrate this diverse discipline and parties to work on a
common goals and adopting a very structured
methodology.
 The adoption of VM may resulting in a sustainable
construction.

Further reading:
Sr. Dr. Mohd Mazlan Che Mat, Founding President Institute of Value
Management Malaysia (IVMM), Value Management – The Way Forward,
2010.
VALUE MANAGEMENT (VM) (cont.)
VALUE MANAGEMENT (VM) (cont.)
VALUE MANAGEMENT (VM) (cont.)
 Example:
 In one study on the condominium development, the
designer proposed the floor to ceiling height of 10’0”.
After being asked what is the purposed and function of
that, they responded that it was for marketing purposed,
which was than disputed by marketing guys.
 The Building Bye-Laws only requires 8’6” floor to ceiling height.
However it was then decided to go for 9’0” in height.
The proposed building was 12 storey of 12 blocks. There
was a saving of RM1.0 Million per block with the overall
saving of RM12.0 Million.
VALUE MANAGEMENT (VM) (cont.)
Example:
LEAN CONSTRUCTION
 The word “lean” was defined by Howell (2001) as “Give
customers what they want, deliver it instantly with no
waste”.
 Generally, construction project based on a cyclic
processes. Therefore, the need to identify the wasteful
activities in the processes and to make special
consideration for them is crucial. Then, compress the
cycle time by eliminating non-value-adding time
(Koskela, 1999).
 Cycle time includes process time, inspection time, wait
time and move time.
 This concept may assist on sustainable construction
objective. (Further reading: Proceedings IGLC-7, Seventh Conference of the International
Group for Lean Construction, University of California, Berkeley, USA, 1999)
LEAN CONSTRUCTION (cont.)
 According to Koskela (1992) and Thomas et al., (2002),
lean construction includes:
 practice of
just-in-time (JIT),

 Use of pull-driven
scheduling, etc..