CIVIL ENGINEERING,

SUSTAINABILITY AND THE

FUTURE
Sustainable engineering design:
a) reduces material consumption
b) improves the quality of life for people
c) provides better economic performance
d) preserves natural resources for future generations.
Structural engineers face significant challenges in the 21st century and among them, global environmental challenges
must be a priority for our profession. On a planet with finite natural resources and an ever-growing built environment,
engineers of the future must consider the sustainability of structural design.

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

The trends in steel and concrete consumption worldwide illustrate the growing environmental impact of structural design.
In particular, the emissions of greenhouse gases due to structural materials are a primary global concern that all structural
engineers should consider.

SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY:

1. Improve life cycle performance
As an example of a more sustainable structure designed for improved life cycle performance, Joerg
Conzett’s Travers in a Bridge in Switzerland was designed to be built using small sections of locally
available timber. A key design constraint was the need to replace any single piece of the structure
without a need for auxiliary support. In this way, the structure could be maintained indefinitely using
locally grown timber.
2. Specify salvaged or recycled materials
As natural resources are depleted, engineers must begin to look for alternative sources of materials.
2. Specify salvaged or recycled materials
As natural resources are depleted, engineers must begin to look for alternative sources of materials. In particular, we
should mine the existing built environment for materials. This is occurring out of necessity for some materials already.
For example, it has been estimated that more copper exists currently in the built environment than in the natural
environment. Clearly, future generations will salvage and recycle the materials that we are extracting from the earth at
present.
3. Use alternative materials
Engineers can and should explore alternative materials. In particular, materials with lower environmental impact should
be investigated. The Japanese Pavilion at the Hannover Exposition in 2000 illustrates the possibilities of alternative
materials for structural systems. The grid shell spanning up to 115 feet (35 meters) is produced primarily from paper
tubes, which were recycled at the end of the exposition.

As engineers, we have a responsibility to our society to offer the best possible solutions. It is becoming increasingly
apparent that existing engineering design does not minimize life cycle costs in terms of economics and environmental
impact. To improve this situation, future engineers must develop a more holistic view of engineering design, which is
commonly referred to as sustainable design.
CIVIL ENGINEERING &
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCES
CIVIL ENGINEERING
 design and construction of public works, such as dams, bridges and other large infrastructure projects.
 one of the oldest branches of engineering, dating back to when people first started living in permanent settlements
and began shaping their environments to suit their needs.
 frequently referred to as the “the people-serving profession.”
 all about sustainably helping people and the natural world.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
 deals with subjects like understanding of the earth processes, evaluating alternative energy systems,
pollution control and mitigation, natural resources management and the effects of global climate
change.
 interdisciplinary field of study that integrates physical and biological sciences, and engineering
(including physics, chemistry, biology and earth sciences) in the study of the environment, and the
solutions to environmental problems.

 RA 9275 (Philippine Clean Water Act)

 RA 8749 (Clean Air Act of 1999)
 RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste Control Act)
 RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act)
 PD 1586 (Environmental Impact Statement System)
 RA 9512 (Environmental Education Act of 2008)
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)
 Process involving predicting and evaluating the likely impacts of a project on the environment during construction,
commissioning, operation and abandonment.
 Section 4 of PD 1586 provides that no person, partnership or corporation shall undertake or operate any such declared
environmentally critical project (ECP) or area (ECA) without first securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate
(ECC).

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE (ECC)

 document issued by the DENR/EMB after a positive review of an ECC application, certifying that based on the
representations of the proponent, the proposed project or undertaking has complied with all the requirements of the
EIS System and has committed to implement its approved Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to address the
environmental impacts.
CONTENTS OF AN ECC
 Proponent's Information
 List of conditions within EMB mandate
 List of recommendation pertaining compliance/ satisfaction to concerned LGUs/ agencies/ stakeholders.

POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICER

 technical person competent in pollution control and environmental management, performing the duties and
responsibilities in an establishment and officially accredited by the Environmental Management Bureau Regional Office
to perform such responsibilities. RA 9275 - Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004
RA 9275 - PHILIPPINE CLEAN WATER ACT OF 2004
• Water Quality Standards
• General Effluent Standards
• Designation of Water Quality Management Area

Class Use Class Use

AA Water source – SA Protected Area
disinfection Fisheries for direct
human consumption
A Water source – SB Fisheries for
conventional Commercial
treatment Production Tourist
zone, Recreation

B Recreation (bathing, SC Recreation, Marshy

swimming) and Mangrove Area
C Recreation (boating, SD Navigable water
fishing) Irrigation
D Navigable water
RA 9275 PROHIBITED ACTS
• Discharging, depositing or causing to be deposited material of any kind directly or indirectly into water bodies or along
the margin of any surface water
• Discharging regulated water pollutants without the valid required discharge permit
• Refusal to allow entry, inspection and monitoring as well as access to reports and records
• Disposal of potentially infectious medical wastes into seawater by vessels
• Refusal or failure to submit reports and/or designate Pollution Control Officer

RA 8749 - PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT OF 1999

• "Polluters must Pay" Air Sampling Activities:
• Source Sampling
• Motor Vehicle Emission Test (DOTR thru LTO)
• Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations

RA 6969 -Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990
• Chemical and Hazardous Waste Management

Philippine Inventory of Chemicals & Chemical Substances

• a list of all existing chemicals & chemical substances used, sold, distributed, imported, processed, manufactured, stored,
exported, treated or transported in the Philippines.
Priority Chemical List
• a list of existing & new chemicals that DENR has determined to potentially pose unreasonable risk to public health,
workplace & the environment.
Chemical Control Order
 Prohibits, limit, or regulate the use, manufacture, import, export, transport, processing, storage, possession, and
wholesale of those priority chemicals that DENR determined to be regulated, phased- out, or banned due to the serious
risks they pose to public health, workplace & environment. (Hg, Pb, CN, PCB, ODS, AS, Cd, Vinyl Cl, Benzene, Chromium)

RA 9003: Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000

 Creation of the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), the National Ecology Center (NEC) and the
Solid Waste Management Board in every province, city and municipality in the country.
 Formulation of the National Solid Waste Management Framework; 10-year solid waste management plans by local
government units consistent with the National Solid Waste Management Framework;
 Establishment of Materials Recovery Facility in every barangay or cluster of barangays;
 Prohibition against the use of open dumps;
 Setting of guidelines/criteria for the establishment dumps and sanitary landfills
 Mandatory segregation of solid waste to be conducted primarily at the source such as household, institutional, industrial,
commercial and agricultural sources.

Relevance of Civil Engineering to Environmental Science

Since Civil Engineering is responsible for solving various environmental problems, Civil Engineers use principles of physics to
build efficiently working facilities to resist some external environmental hazards. On the other hand, environmental science
deals with the study of the environment and the solutions to environmental problems. Therefore, incorporating civil
engineering and environmental science gives more efficiency and accuracy in the works and projects of civil engineering.