Applicability of Green Engineering Solution in International Construction

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Applicability of Green Engineering Solution in International Construction
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Applicability of Green Engineering Solution in International Construction
Introduction
The increasing environmental crisis of climate changes, the rising water and air
pollution, growing levels of solid waste and natural resource depletion are becoming
major drivers in the decision making processes with regard to global warming. It is
estimated that activities of building and construction account for approximately 40 per
cent of carbon dioxide, one of the main contributory gases to global warming (BCA
report 2010). Over the recent past years, green building has become one of the most
discussed topics in the property industry. Many terms have been used in real estate
overview to describe the green building. The US term green building as sustainable
development, UK and Australia term it as sustainable building, sustainable construction
and many more (Zhu 2017, p.15).
The green building is the construction of a sustainable, environmentally friendly
as well as resource-efficient structure. According to Xue (2016, p.7), the green building
comprises of efficient energy, water and other natural resources use, improving the
productivity of the employee, protecting health as well as life by minimizing waste,
degradation of the environment and pollution. The construction of environmentally
friendly structures enhances sustainability which is advantageous to the community,
builders and the environment. It is about integrating a building with the local conditions,
culture, community and climate to reduce the consumption of resources (Tan 2011,
p.43). The green building is of significance to the environment because it reduces
carbon dioxide emissions by 36 per cent, water usage by 40 per cent and waste output
by 70 per cent.
International construction has started to assume great importance in recent
years. There are more indications that this trend will progress. The competitions for
international projects have become intense and the global marketplace has flooded due
to the development of expertise and capability of firms from numerous emerging
countries (Van Doren et al. 2016 p.77). The emerging firms can now export their
services and compete effectively with other established firms. For success in
international construction projects, the firms are required to address factors such as

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technical expertise, managerial expertise, management of cultural issues and risk
management. This paper seeks to discuss the applicability of green engineering
solution in international construction. It will further discuss the present green building, its
background and benefits.
Green Engineering
Green engineering is the process of designing, commercializing and use of
products and processes in a manner that minimizes pollution, promotes sustainability
and reduces the risk to human health as well as the environment without compromising
economic efficiency and viability. The concept of green engineering can have a major
impact when applied at the earliest stage in the design and development phase of a
process or product. The green construction concept is continuously rising worldwide as
every country contributes toward the environmental protection (Hodges 2011, p.16).
Green engineering is a holistic approach to environmentally friendly development and in
the product and processes design.
There are four approaches of green engineering that are involved to improve the
products and processes of construction to make them efficient. Some of the approaches
used in the green building include material management, waste minimization, pollution
prevention and product enhancement. Waste reduction is the process of minimizing
waste materials to a reasonably achievable level. Waste reduction is currently applied at
all stages of construction, right from the design process, the operation to
decommissioning. The processes involved in waste reduction include recycling,
treatment and reuse putting into consideration the primary wastes produced from the
construction processes. Currently, the reduction of waste is focussed on the physical
decrease of the construction waste. Better tools and technique have been devised to
help in handling and managing of waste during construction.
Besides, the approach of material management comprises of planning,
performing as well as supervising of construction field activities. The material
management approach ensures that construction materials are readily accessed at the
point of utilization. The system of material management ensures that material quality, as
well as quantity, are appropriately chosen, purchased, conveyed and handled in a
timely manner and at a reasonable cost. Efficient material management can result in a

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substantial reduction in the costs of construction projects. Material management plays a
crucial role in project management by reducing procurement costs which eventually
improves the overall project costs. From an environmental standpoint, the construction
industry should adopt different ways to improve the products and make them more
efficient. The pollution prevention is another approach that should be enhanced to
ensure that green engineering progresses in the construction industry.
Operation of the construction industry in the developing world
The construction projects across the world contribute to major environmental
impacts both on the local as well as global scale. Each construction process stage has
the significant impact to the environment ranging from the mining processes,
transportation of materials, the construction process, waste elimination and disposal
process that accompany project completion. With the developing economy, it is of
significance for stakeholders to understand how the construction projects pose
environmental impacts in order to devise ways to minimize the impact in future.
Environmental degradation is on the subject that has captured worldwide
attention and it is being discussed locally, nationally and globally. According to the Gan
et al. (2015, p.13), the world is in critical environmental catastrophe. The rise in
population has increased the quest for development in the construction industry
worldwide. This has in turn resulted to global warming, depletion of ozone layer and
resources as well as destruction of the ecosystem. The increased environmental
impacts have put the built and construction industry into limelight since its activities
contribute immensely to environmental deterioration. The activities of construction affect
the environment at each phase of development. The impacts start from the initial work
conducted on the site, through the period of construction and operation to the demolition
process. As much as the construction period takes shorter time as compared to other
building stages, it has complex environment effects.
The environmental impacts caused during the process of construction have
raised concern on the construction impact activities on the environment as well as
human health. Shen et al. (2016, p.75) assert that the development of the construction
industry has contributed to social and economic development as well as improving the
living standard and the quality of life. However, the construction industry is also linked to