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NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

Sustainability
Sustainable Development – Definition

Brundtland Report - United Nations World Commission on

Environment and Development – 1987

Sustainable development…
“…that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”…

3 Re’s: Reduce - Recycle - Reuse

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

Sustainability
Sustainable Engineering – Construction industry

- New trend in the construction industry:

• Environmental concerns such as global warming
• Climate change
• Rapid depletion of natural resources

- Energy and Power saving factors in a building unit: related

to above concerns - provided the quality of life and
social development are not affected - yet may be
improved

- Professionals are engaged in all phases of construction

industry: design, operation, financing, insurance, and
public policy.
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Engineering – Climate Change

 Increase in human generated gases: CO2, Methane, others

 Future temperature increase and weather modified

 Natural resources depletion  Threat to the national

economies in the developed countries

 Much of today’s built environment will be related to the

future climate change
 The factors in a construction process that may be related to
the climate change are:
- Passive design - Building envelope - Materials selection
- Type of equipment used that cope with high levels of
energy consumption…
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

Sustainability
Sustainable Engineering – Oil Rollover Point

• Time of peak production of oil  50% of the world’s supply

depleted. Oil rollover point was expected between 2000 &
2010. We are living in the expected oil rollover point -
depicted by sharp increase in oil prices during 2008.
• Experts predict that between 2010 and 2020 oil prices will
skyrocket as oil production decreases & demand increases
• Shockwave to developed countries to shift toward cheap
and sustainable energy
• In 2003, Chinese economy grew 9.1% producing 2 million
automobile. Chinese economy competes US economy 
huge demand for oil, steel, & cement. Increased prices
drastically.
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

Sustainability
Sustainable Construction – Cement, Concrete, Asphalt,
Steel Production…others
• Cement Environmental Concern: Every 1 ton of cement
produced  1 ton CO2 released
• Aggregates: resource depletion  Quarries – major
local concern
• Water: availability of clean water for mixing and exit
contaminated water in ready mix plants
• Asphalt production and use: toxic gases
• Asphalt cost related to fuel prices
• Demolished Waste: concrete, asphalt, steel…
• Steel production cost and quality…
 Environment friendly materials use ?!
…Anything used in Buildings, Structures…
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Construction
Sustainable construction addresses the role of building
environment in contributing to sustainability
 The success of high performance green building
development depends on the collaboration among:
- Building Owners
- Developer
- Architects and Engineers
- Contractors
- Facility Manager
- Building Code Officials
- Bankers
- Real Estate professionals
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

Sustainability
Sustainable Construction - Advantages of High-
Performance Green Buildings

• High Performance Green Buildings: intermix between the

conventional construction methods and the emerging high-
performance approaches.
1. Sustainable construction techniques provide ethical and
practical response to environmental impact & resource
consumption issues
2. Life Cycle Cost (LCC): green buildings are economically
rewarding, although they are expensive as a capital or
first cost
3. Sustainable design acknowledges the potential effect of
the physical structure on the health of the occupants,
such as the indoor air quality, light control…
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

Sustainability
Sustainable Construction – Green Building Benefits
In US, buildings account for: 72% of electricity
consumption, 39% of energy use, 38% of all carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions, 40% of raw materials use, 30% of waste
output (136 million tons annually), 14% of potable water
consumption

Green Building Environmental Benefits

 Enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity
 Improve air and water quality
 Reduce solid waste
 Conserve natural resources

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Construction – Green Building Benefits
(Cont’d)
Green Building Economic Benefits
 Reduce operating costs
 Enhance asset value and profits
 Improve employee productivity and satisfaction
 Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Green Building Health and Community Benefits

 Improve air, thermal, and acoustic environments
 Enhance occupant comfort and health
 Minimize strain on local infrastructure
 Contribute to overall quality of life
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Construction – Main features

• Land Resources: Land & green areas are precious and finite
resources - must be kept and developed at minimum. Land
conservation promotes economic and social revitalization in
distressed areas.
Land is recyclable  former industrial zones to green fields
• Energy and Atmosphere: Energy conservation through
effective building designs:
 Building envelope - resistant to conductive, convective,
and radiative heat transfer
 Employing renewable energy resources
 Fully implementing passive design: building geometry,
orientation, incoming solar radiation , wind…

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Construction – Main features (Cont’d)

• Water Usage: Potable water availability - limiting factor in

sustainable development. The availability of potable water
(surface and underground) is affected by global warming and
climate change. Contaminated water is extremely difficult to
reverse the damage
 Water conservation techniques include: use of low flow
plumbing fixtures, water recycling, rainwater collection,
and “xeriscaping”: landscaping method that uses drought-
resistant plants and resources conserving techniques
 Wastewater processing approaches: graywater from
sinks necessary to complete the building hydrological
cycle
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Construction – Main features (Cont’d)

• Indoor Air Quality: occupants health, paint type, furniture,

ventilation, light system…

• Ecosystems:
Wastewater treatment and storage of the output in wetlands
Storm water retention systems that results in reducing the
effects of storm water on the infrastructure system - roads,
pavements…

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Construction – Guidelines for High
Performance Construction

• Sustainability: a long view that balances between

economics, equity, and environmental impact

• Integrated approach: it engages a multidisciplinary team

that works thoroughly on a project

• Feedback and data collection: evaluates the finished

facility in addition to the operational process, also it
serves for the improvements in the future projects

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Construction – Green Building Obstacles

Financial Disincentives
The large initial costs compared to the conventional method
The lack of life cycle cost analysis and use
Budget separation between capital and operational cost

Insufficient Research
Inadequate research funding
Insufficient research on indoor environments, productivity
and health

Lack of Awareness
Conventional thinking prevails
Aversion to perceived risks
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – Specifications and Codes
Many International Certification Organizations

 US Green Building Council (USGBC): LEED Rating

Systems – Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design
 UK – BREEAM - Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method
 Japan – CASBEE - Comprehensive Assessment
System for Built Environment Efficiency
 Australia – Green Bldg. Council: GREEN STAR
 UAE - Estidama

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED - since 1993
LEED is not a single standard but a set of standards
that are applicable in different type of structures

• LEED for New Construction: New construction and major

renovations
• LEED for Existing Buildings
• LEED for Commercial Interiors
• LEED for Core and Shell: Core-and-shell projects (total
building minus tenant fitouts/equipments)
• LEED for Homes
• LEED for Neighborhood Development
• LEED for Schools: Recognizes the unique nature of the
design and construction of K-12 schools

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED Categories
Based on Points system

1. Sustainable Sites
2. Water Efficiency
3. Energy and Atmosphere
4. Materials and Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality
6. Innovation and Design Process

The number of points in each category was established by

LEED-NC developers to indicate the weight of each
category

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED Categories
Based on Points system

LEED-NC 2.2 Points Required

Platinum 52-69
Gold 39-51
Silver 33-38
Certified 26-32
No rating 25 or less

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED – Sustainable Sites

• Prerequisite 1: Soil and Erosion Control – required

• Site selection: Urban redevelopment, Brownfields
redevelopments
• Alternative transportation: Public Transportation access,
Bicycle storage and changing rooms, alternative
refueling stations, parking capacity
• Reduce site disturbance: protect or restore open space,
development footprint
• Stormwater management: rate of quantity, treatment
• Landscape & exterior design to reduce heat islands (non-
roof)
• Landscape & exterior design to reduce heat islands (roof)
• Light pollution reduction
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED – Water Efficiency

• No prerequisites required
• Water Efficiency Landscaping: reduce by 50%, no potable
use or no irrigation,
• Innovative wastewater technology
• Water use reduction: 20% reduction, 30% reduction

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED –Energy & Atmosphere

• Prerequisite 1: Fundamental building system commissioning

– required
• Prerequisite 2: Minimum (code) energy performance –
required
• Prerequisite 3: CFC reduction in HVAC&R Equipment
(Fundamental Refrigerant Management) – required
• Optimize energy performance: 14% (new) or 7% (existing)
buildings (required as of June 26, 2007)
• Energy optimization ( in addition to the 2 required above)
• On-site renewable energy: 5%, 10%, 20%
• Additional commissioning, Ozone depletion, measurement
and verification, green power, (4x1)

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED–Materials & Resources
• Prerequisite 1: Storage & collection of recyclables – required
• Building reuse: maintain 75% of bldg. structure & shell excluding
windows - maintain 100% of bldg. structure - maintain
100% of shell & 50% nonshell (walls, floors, ceilings)
• Construction waste management (reuse or recycle, by weight or
volume): divert 50% - divert 75%
• Resource reuse (by cost): 5% salvaged or refurbished materials -
10% salvaged or refurbished materials
• Recyclable content: specify 25% - specify 50% (Criteria vary in
recent versions of LEED, but depend on value of pre- and
post-consumer recycled content)
• Local/Regional materials: Fabrication shop within 800 km of
building site and raw materials source within 800 km of
building site, 10% or 20%
• Rapidly renewable materials, certified wood
NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED – Indoor
Environmental Quality
• Prerequisite 1: Mini. IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) performance –
required
• Prerequisite 2: Env’tal tobacco smoke (ETS) control – required
• CO2 (outdoor air delivery) monitoring, increase ventilation
effectiveness
• Construction IAQ management: during construction, before
occupancy
• Low-emitting materials: adhesives, paints, carpet
• Low-emitting materials, Indoor chemical and pollutant control
• Controllability of systems: perimeter, nonperimeter
• Thermal comfort: comply with ASHRAE 55-1992, permanent
monitoring system
• Daylight and Views: daylight 75% of spaces, daylight 90% of
spaces
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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED – Innovation and
Design Process

• No prerequisites required.
• Points for this category are awarded above and beyond the
core points, and are described as rewarding
strategies that go above and beyond the criteria for
those points. Examples for up to four design points
using steel construction include structure as finish,
structure as plumbing, lightweight materials,
recyclability, and potential for disassembly.
• Innovation in Design: Specific Title (4 possibilities)
• LEED Accredited professional

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Development – LEED Accredited
professional

• LEED Accredited Professional: through the LEED

Accredited Professional Exam. This accreditation
enables an individual to facilitate the rating of buildings
with the various LEED systems. Professional
Accreditation is administered by the Green Building
Certification Institute

• LEED Green Associate: is the entry level LEED professional

credential. Becoming a LEED Green Associate is ideal
for any person with a strong interest in sustainability
and green building

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad

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Sustainability
Sustainable Buildings – Gulf Examples
ABN AMRO BANK INTERIOR WORKS PROJECT

- Gaining more than 43% Energy savings

- More than 32% savings on Water
- Make use of Recycle Content for more than 25% of its
materials requirement…………..etc

NDU-FE-CEE Dr. E.Awwad