How Civil Engineers can involve in Green Buildings Projects?

Module Development and Delivery for Civil Engineering Degree Program at

Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia

Presented By:Boon Cheong Chew ;Yu Xin, Ou Yang

22nd March 2017

The Real Reason that Engineers Resist Going Green

Does Civil Engineer Contribute in Green Rating Tools Process?• Architects always blame that Civil Engineer is the hardest one to contribute in green

buildings or contribute the least among the design team toward a green project.

• However, Civil Engineers should be an enthusiastic and integrated contributor to green rating process.

Civil Engineers can add value to LEED process• Construction activity pollution

prevention• Site selection (input to the

project owner)• Development density and

community connectivity• Brownfield redevelopment• Alternative transportation• Site development• Storm water design• Heat island effect• Light pollution reduction

16 Ways Civil Engineer Can Add Value to The LEED Process

• Water efficient landscaping• Innovative wastewater

technologies• Optimize energy performance• Construction waste

management• Recycled content• Innovation in design• Regional priority

SUSTAINABLE SITEPrerequisite 1 – Construction Activity Pollution Prevention• Credit 1 – Site Selection (1pt) – Although its often not the

case, civil engineers should always be a part of the site selection process.  A civil engineers input to the project owner can often save money, time and headaches.

• Credit 2 – Development Density and Community Connectivity (5pts) – This comes down to the civil engineer being a part of the site selection process, working closely with the city council.

• Credit 3 – Brownfield Redevelopment (1pt) – Civil engineers can be an integral part of the site rehabilitation process. Take note on legal aspects.

• Credit 4.1-4.4 – Alternative Transportation (12 pts) – Transportation is what civil engineers do.  By providing for public transportation access in the form of site selection or creating new infrastructure, making walking and bicycling more appealing.

• Credit 5.1-5.2 – Site Development (2 pts) –Protecting habitat area and maximizing open green spaces can be accomplished with creative and efficient grading plans and site layouts.

• Credit 6.1-6.2 – Storm Water Design (2 pts) – The storm water controls must address frequency, quantity and quality to standards.  To meet these requirements, the civil engineer should think out side the box and implement innovative management practices such as bio-swales, wetlands, raingardens etc.

• Credit 7.1-7.2 – Heat Island Effect (2 pts) – Civil engineers can help achieve these points for both roof and non-roof credits by recommending appropriate hardscape materials, providing shade from landscaping (new or existing), or assisting with green roof specification and design.

• Credit 8 – Light Pollution Reduction (1 pt) –Although the responsibility for this credit falls primarily on the electrical engineer or lighting designer, civil engineers should participate with site light locations, limits of site areas that require artificial light.

WATER EFFICIENCY• Credit 1 – Water Efficient Landscaping (4

pts) – Civil engineers can assist with eliminating potable water use for landscaping by recommending and designing rainwater catchment systems, wastewater treatment systems or rain water harvesting for use in irrigation, and designing storm water management controls (such as raingardens) that divert storm water to landscape areas and provide for landscape water needs.

WATER EFFICIENCY

• Credit 2 – Innovative Wastewater Technologies (2 pts) –  Civil engineers can accomplish this credit through option 2 by designing on-site wastewater treatment systems

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERECredit 1 – Optimize Energy Performance (7 pts) – There are 19 available points in this category, but civil engineers can help achieve up to 7 or more by participating in the site design process.  Building siting and orientation on the site can achieve 25% or more in energy savings and civil engineers can contribute by assisting architects, landscape architects and other engineers with creative and innovative site layout options.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

• Credit 2 – Construction Waste Management (1 pt) – If the project is on a redeveloped site or other site with existing pavement and/or concrete, civil engineers can write specifications allowing the reuse of the demolished concrete and asphalt in aggregate base, concrete mixes or asphalt mixes.  Doing this reduces raw material use and reduces the amount of waste that must go to a landfill.

• Credit 4 – Recycled Content (1 pt) – Civil engineers can contribute to the amount of recycled content used on a project by specifying fly ash replacement in site concrete, recycled asphalt pavement and recycled aggregate base.

• Credit 5 – Regional Materials (1 pt) – The largest ingredient in both asphalt and concrete is the aggregate, which is almost always meets the regional materials requirements of LEED.  While it is usually a small portion of the cost on a project, it can still contribute to the total nonetheless.

INNOVATION IN DESIGN

• Credit 1 – Innovation in Design (2 pts) – Everyone on the design team should be trying to achieve innovation in design credits.  The ID credit was established by the USGBC to reward innovative design  and construction strategies that are not specifically accounted for the in the rating system.  4 points are possible in this credit and civil engineers should be able to provide valuable inputs.

REGIONAL PRIORITY

• Credit 1 – Regional Priority (2 pts) – Regional priority credits obviously vary by region, and a total of 4 points are possible.  

-Historical site-Biodiversity site-Commercial areas-Residential areas

How do Structural Engineers Contribute to LEED Certification?• Structural engineer is a specialty within the field of civil engineering that focuses on the

framework of structures and designing those structures to withstand the stress and pressures of the environment.

• Structural engineers are trained to understand and calculate the stability, strength, and rigidity of built structures, to develop designs and integrate their design with that of other designers, and to supervise construction of projects on site.

• Since LEED certification is a label for buildings, it seems reasonable that structural engineers would be involved with the process. 

• Structural engineer can join  LEED certification process early in the design phase to collaborate with the architect and develop a scheme for an efficient structural system.

• A structural engineer’s knowledge of building materials and structural penetrations helps LEED project teams to:

-Decrease material consumption -Create a waste management plan -Encourage recycling and reuse -Reduce storm water runoff -Source local materials -Reduce carbon omissions• A building’s structure can have a significant impact on its embodied energy – i.e., the

available energy used in the work of constructing a building.• A building’s structure accounts for about 25% of the building’s embodied energy but

only 10% of the building’s cost. A structural engineer with LEED knowledge can assist with sound sustainable design principles that can significantly reduce the building’s embodied energy.

• With regard to LEED certification projects, structural engineers contribute most to the Materials & Resources credit category.

 • Structural engineers should be careful when specifying the structural components of a

building in order to capture all of the available LEED points and minimize the building’s embodied energy.

Four Common Structural Materials And How Structural Engineers Can Help to Achieve LEED Points

STEEL

CONCRETE MASONRY

WOOD

SteelMaterials and Resources credit 1 (MR 1) - Existing steel frame structures are easily reinforced so the original structure can be reused.

Credit MR 2 and MR 3 – Steel is the most recycled material in the world. Virtually any steel on a construction site can be recycled or re-fabricated and reused.

Credit MR 4.1 and MR4.2 - Most structural steel shapes are made from 97% recycled material. Recycled content in steel plate is about 65%. HSS sections are typically not made with recycled steel and should be avoided on LEED projects. The Steel Recycling Institute reports the post-consumer recycled content is about 64% and the post-industrial recycled content is about 30%.

Credit MR 5 - Steel is usually manufactured locally but locally extracted materials are not always available.

Concrete Credit MR 1 - Existing concrete buildings are often reinforced and reused.

Credit MR 2 – Concrete can be crushed and reused as fill material. Steel rebar can be recycled.

Credit MR 4.1 and MR4.2 – Rebar is made with recycled steel. Cement increases CO2 emissions. Pozzolans such as fly ash (High Volume Fly Ash Concrete - HVFA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag can reduce the cement content by more than 50%.

Credit MR 5 – Locally manufactured and extracted materials are commonly available.

MasonrySustainable Sites credit 6 and 7 (SS 6 and SS 7) – Permeable concrete or masonry pavements or open cell concrete masonry pavers can improve storm water management and reduce non-roof heat island effects.Credit MR 1 - Existing masonry buildings are often reinforced and reused.

Credit MR 2 – Masonry can be crushed and reused as fill material. Steel rebar can be recycled.

Credit MR 4.1 and MR4.2 – Rebar is made with recycled steel. Concrete masonry units and grout can be made with HVFA. Clay brick is often made with recycled brick ground and used as grog. The grog can qualify as post-consumer recycled content. Other common recycled content in masonry is bottom ash, fly ash, sludge, and even contaminated soil.

Credit MR 5 – Locally manufactured and extracted materials are commonly available.

WoodCredit MR 2 – Wood is easily recyclable and reused.

Credit MR 5 – Locally manufactured and extracted materials can be available for some projects.

Credit MR 6 – Wood is an entirely renewable material.

Credit MR 7 – Sustainable material suppliers with FSC-certified wood products is readily available.

Tasks• Find information about new construction materials which are

produced by using recycling materials. For example:-Ferrock-AshCrete-TimberCreate

ContactBoon Cheong ChewEmail: bcchew@utem.edu.my LinkedIn: https://my.linkedin.com/in/bcchew My Primary Research Interests:(a) Renewable Energy Development &

Deployment(b) Clean Technologies Innovation &

Implementation(c) Green & Sustainability Practices(d) Human Technology Innovation &

Introduction*Please google BCChew to follow my work

Yu Xin Ou YangEmail: yuxin01_ouyang@hotmail.com My Primary Research Interests:(a) Green & Sustainability

Practices(b) Robotics & Automation

Engineering

* Please google Ou Yang Yu Xin Academia to follow my work