Sustainability Flashcards
(107 cards)
1
Q
Narrow Definition of Construction
A
Firms that deliver projects
2
Q
Broad Definition of Projects
A
Includes wider supply chain that provides material resources
3
Q
Construction 2025
A
-33% costs
+50% delivery time
-50% emissions
+50% net exports
4
Q
Global Energy since 1973/2015
A
1973 - Oil 46
2015 - Oil 30%
5
Q
UK Nuclear Power Plants
A
53% of UK Power by renewables
15 reactors, half retired by 2025
24% of UK power
6
Q
How to improve/targets energy
UK Climate Change Act
A
Improve energy efficiency, reduce demand, more low carbon options, renewable sources
2008 - Reduce greenhouse gasses by 80% from 1990 by 2050
7
Q
Weightman Review
A
Following Fukushima 38 lessons
Layout/design of plant
Flooding risk/emergency response arrangements
Safety reviews
8
Q
Energy Hierarchy
A
Reduce Improve energy efficiency 0 carbon sources Near 0 carbon sources Use non renewables as cleanly as p[possible
9
Q
Impact Equation
A
Ehlrich + Holden
Population x affluence x technology
10
Q
Sustainable development definition
A
Development which meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
11
Q
Pitt Review
A
Summer 2007 flood 13 dead 55000 properties flooded
Met office work with environment agency
Robust building/Planning to protect communities
5.5m properties at risk
12
Q
Urbanisation of the UK
A
2050 65% of people will live in urban areas
13
Q
Reasons for flooding
A
Areas built over
Impermeable surfaces like tarmac
Need for more drainage
14
Q
Types of flooding
A
Rivers/natural watercourses (fluvial)
Sea - low land
Rainfall - Land / sewers / reservoirs / canals
15
Q
Flood plain types
A
Functional flood plain - where water would flow
Within natural plain but protected by banks
Flood zones 1, 2, 3a, 3b
16
Q
SUDS
A
Sustain Urb Drain Syst cope with run off/create habitats
Filter strips - takes water from impervious areas
Swales - ditches
Infiltration Basin - depressions storing water
Purvious surfaces - Allow water through brick driveways
17
Q
Ocean Acidification
A
Absorbing CO2 50% of anthropogenic C02
Affects ocean food chain
18
Q
Anthropogenic Pollution
A
Originating in human activity
Rice fields, natural gas, landfill, agriculture
Methane 21x potent than CO2, landfill main source
19
Q
E.F Schumacher Quote
A
Wrote Small is beautiful
It is inherent in the methodology of economics to ignore mans dependence on the natural world
20
Q
Japanese/British Pre-fab
A
Produce 150,000 homes a year
Leadenhall 340m 85% pre-fab Laing O’Rouke
21
Q
Products impacting the environment
A
80% of the products we produce impact the environment
22
Q
BAPs
SAPs
HAPs
A
Biodiversity Action Plan
Species Action Plan
Habitat Action Plan
23
Q
Biofuel
A
Fast growing trees/shrubs - animal waste
Dedicated crops - Short rotation crops
Dependant crops - main portion used for other things
24
Q
EIA Definition
A
Drawing together in a systematic way an assessment of a projects likely significant environmental impacts
25
EIA Meaning
Required on certain developments
Measures environmental, social, economics of develop
Have to be one for roads, power stations, ports and harbours (Schedule I)
26
EIA 3 Stages
Screening - determine whether schedule II need an EIA
Scoping - Potential impacts / alternative
Review - determine sufficiency of EIA
27
Screening
Consider characteristics of development, location and potential impacts
28
EIA Consultation
Consultation erquired to those with an interest in the environmental effects, Planning Authority, Countryside Agency, HSE and English Heritage e.g
29
Adv / Disadv of EIA
Planned mitigation, avoidance at source
| Time and cost to the project can take months
30
Greenfield / Brownfield definition
Not previously been developed on
| Previously been developed with buildings, permanent structure or infrastructure
31
Competitiveness of the Construction Industry Report
1997 - Coherent quality control, increase regulatory environment, increase education and training and research and development
32
Contaminated Land
Elevated level of naturally occurring substances Ind/agr
Chemical spillages and landfill
Heavy industry - Oil/coal refinery and steelworks
Bad for people, animals, ecosystems, water
4000sqkm of contaminated land UK
33
Environmental Baseline
Current and future state if no development
Same time period of development life cycle
Population, noise, habitat
Provide alternatives/impact/mitigation
34
Egan Report
1998, 30% reworked
Labour 40-60% inefficient
10% materials waste
Improve efficie/quality/performance targets and innovate
35
M4I
Move for Innovation
180 exemplar projects
-10% time/costs
-10% productivity
36
Achieving Excellence in Construction
Develop long term relationships
| Short decision time frame
37
Embodied Energy / Carbon
Energy Used to create Material x Carbon intensity
10% of total buildings C footprint from industrial manuf of materials / transportation
Brick wall/Cast concrete highest Embodied Carbon
38
Phase Change Materials
Ability to absorb / store heat
High embodied energy paid through operational saving
Provide summer cooling / winter heating
39
Hierarchy of flood building / site design
Flood avoidance - avoid flooding
Flood resistance - prevent flooding
Flood resilience - can enter impact reduced
Flood repairable - damage can be easily replaced
40
Fuel Poverty
Households that need to spend more than 10% of their income on fuel
41
LCA
Impact of material over lifetime Energy / cabron
| Extraction, transport, manufacture, waste/pollution
42
WLC
Operation Carbon footprint + embodied in materials
| Procurement, maintain/refurb, operational, disposal
43
Construction Waste
10m tonnes of construction waste 1.5bn a year UK
44
Kenneth Boulding
Spaceship Earth Cowboy economy (reckless with use)
| Anyone that thinks exponential growth will last forever is either a madman or an economist
45
Environmental impact %
More than 10% of env impact of a product is determined at the design stage
46
North West Bicester
```
First Eco-twon
393 homes
0 waste to landfill
17500 sqm of solar panels
Rainwater harvesting
```
47
Types of Solar Panels
Monocyrstalline - most expensive / efficient
Polycrystalline - med efficiency / price
Amorphous - least expensive least efficient
48
Triple Bottom Line
Social
Economic
Environmental
49
Parts of the Atmosphere
Troposphere - Weather
Stratosphere - Ozone
Mesosphere - Temperature decrease (mesopause)
Thermosphere - low density gasses
50
Hammarby Sjostad
Masterplanning important
Transport infra designed to discourage car use
Highly contaminated dumping cars
Lake capped with concrete
Soil/grease 900000+ contam 300000 heavily polluted
51
ISO 14001 : 2015
Certified envir management system provides framework
| Air poll, water, sewage, waste, soil contam resource efficieny
52
Verification and Validation
Monitor to check objective has been achieved
Quality assurance
Report remed activi site conditions and maint plan
53
BedZed Triple Bottom Line
Social Amenity - Mix tenure, air quality, prox comm facili
Financial Effective - Afforda, low bills, public transport
Reduced Env Impact - 0 fossil fuels, 100% renewable passive solar heating
54
Pollutant Types
Heavy Metal - Toxic to animals
Hydrocarbon - Methane/Ethane
Toxic Organic Micropollutants - Pesticides
Radionuclides - Nuclear Waste / radiation Chernobyl
55
Land Remediation 4 Phases
Desk Study
Intrusive Investigation
Remediation and/or risk management
Verification and Validation
56
Phase 1 Remediation
Desk Study
Identify location, assessment of setting/history of site
Soil map needs to be assessed
Groundwater assessed
57
Aichi
Living in harmony with nature
58
Brundtland Report
1987
Our Common Future
Sustainable Development Definition
59
COP 21
Paris Agreement - Set targets
INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contribution)
Gambia and Morocco achieving target
60
Biomorphic
| Biomimicry
Design in the shape of natural organisms
| The design/manufacture of materials based on natures processes
61
PPM Levels
Current levels are 410ppm
| 1750 - 280ppm
62
Methane
Rice fields, landfill, animals
21x more potent than co2
In atmosphere for 12 years
63
Albedo Effect
The amount of light that is reflected by the planet
| Ice caps melting reduces this
64
Kuznets Curve
As economies develop Environmental degradation increases
| Turning point, then starts to decrease move into services
65
Arthur Pigou
Tax needs to equal cost of damage
66
Ronald Coase
Polluter pays principle
67
Vernacular Design
Based on local needs/amenities
| Locally sourced materials/labour
68
Pollination
30% food production reliant on pollination
69
UK CO2 Emissions
Fell by 6% in 2015-16
70
Habitat Fragmentation
Major infrastructure splitting habitats
| Need tunnels / relocate habitats
71
Cryosphere
Where water is in solid form
| Ice caps, glaziers, mountain glaziers etc
72
Photosynthesis Formula
6Co2 + 6h2o + sunlight ---> 6o2 + c6h12o6
73
Landfill Directive
Reduce negative effects on the environment
74
Stern Review
Nicholas Stern 2006
Climate change a market failure, no one accountable
Report detailing effect of food production, glaziers from climate change
75
Passive House
8% thicker walls
| 70% reduced carbon
76
Section 106 Agreements
Social amenity as part of development
| Make agreements to make acceptable developments
77
Land Remediation Phase III
Remediation statement gives objectives to Plan Author
Description of ground conditions, contam type/methodology
In situ/Ex situ
Excavated / unexcavated
78
Types of Remediation
Chemical Leaching - washing
Solvent Extraction - solvent use
Windrow - soil + organic
Bioreactor - soil + nutrients + air + water in enclosed vessel
79
Land Remediation Phase II
Soil, surface and groundwater sampling
Contracted out and submitted to Local Plan Auth
Compare pollutants to a control
80
Mott Macdonald Land Remediation
No Standar, fit for purpose
Accepted level of contam
Review how it can be accessed ingestion/touch
81
Residential / Industrial Arsenic
200
| 500
82
Negative on Windrow / Leaching
Organic material removed
83
Syndney Central Park / Central Park
Increased land value from green space
| Green Spaces / intergrate art
84
Freiburg
10% more to build houses
90% reduction in bills
All new builds need to be carbon neutral
No more than 75KWhm2 per year
85
Green Infrastructure Examples
```
Drainage
Forests
Local food
Air / Water improvements
Healthy soil
Sustainable energy production
Urban Heat
Public Health (Mental health / ecotherapy)
Social Cohesion
Aesthetic value / tourism
Effective material use
```
86
What is an EIA good for?
Provides information about development for planning authority, regulator, interested parties and the public
87
Characteristics of screening implications
```
Traffic
Noise
Pollution
Sound
Habitats
Air quality
```
88
Characteristics of EIA Screening
```
Traffic
Noise
Habitats
Pollutions
21 categories where EIA is mandatory
```
89
EIA Sites Compulsory
SSSI - Sites of Special Scientific Interest
| World Heritage Sites
90
Environmental Statement
Sets out the developers own assessment of impacts for development made publicly available
Characterising nature of impact
Determine the significance of impact
91
EIA Adverse
Does not prohibit the development
Plan Auth must consider the impacts
Developer may have thought of improvements
May be used to consider alternative methods
92
Mitigation Hierarchy
```
Avoidance at source
Minimise at source
Abatement at site
Abatement at receptor
Repair
Compensate
```
93
MET Matrix Design Phase
Materials, Energy, Toxicity 'Quick and Dirty'
Durable/reusable or disposable/compostable
2 cycles organic (renewables) technical (extracted / processed)
94
MET Matrix Production Phase
Sizes/quantities
| Supply chain relationship return excess materials
95
MET Matrix Distribution Phase / Resources Use
Local is better
| Use something that is easily maintained
96
Part L
Conservation of Fuel and Power
| Primary means of controlling building performance
97
3 Types of sustainability credentials
LEED
BREEAM
Passive Haus
98
Introduction Inclusion
Why the climate is changing - anthropogenic
The impacts it has - Ice caps, sea levels. xtreme weather
Wicked problem - Solution has negative impact on other
Iron Triangle
IPAT Equation
Energy Hierarchy
Construction 2025
Need to encourage behavioural change
UK carbon emissions falling
UK 53% renewable sources
UK climate change act 2008
99
Zero carbon homes
They are net neutral to the grid
Orientation natural light
High thermal mass - reduce energy / phase change
100
Wicked Problem
A problem that is very difficult or nye impossible to solve
| Negative impacts on other people, hugely expensive
101
Advantages and Disadvantages of Blue/Green Infrastructure
Ecotherapy
New Habitats
SUDS
Carbon sequestration - naturally removed
102
What is not a greenhouse gas
| Toxic Gas do wood chips give off
Carbon Monoxide
103
For Schedule 1 what is not needed
Screening stage
104
Heavy Metal detection Process
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
105
Ocean Current carrying heat from equator to higher
Thermohaline
106
Transition Towns
Totnes
Behavioural change
Making towns more sustainable
Bottom up / Grass roots
107
IR
GHG and water vapour absorb IR and retransmit towards earth then heat gets trapped
UV passes through layers reflected to weak to leave
