Effects of High-Rise Construction on Environment: Materials and Technology

The Effects of High-Rise Construction on the
Environment: Focusing on the Use of
Appropriate Materials and Construction
Technology

Acknowledgement
I would like to thank my supervisor and module tutor, who guided me throughout this process
of conducting the research. I am also always thankful to my friends and family, who have
always been my support system.

Abstract
The aim of the research is to demonstrate and describe the effect of high-rise buildings on the
natural environment while considering the use of appropriate materials and construction
technology in United Kingdom (UK).In order to achieve the respective research objectives,
key emphasis is laid upon the collection and analysis of secondary data. Hence, the research
strategy of systematic literature review is being adopted.
Based on the articles systematically reviewed in this research, 6 relevant themes were
identified. According to theme 1, high rise construction has a huge impact on the micro-
climatic and environmental conditions of the surrounding areas. Theme 2 states that high rise
construction supports the accommodation of larger population in vertical cities which is a
major benefit. Theme 3 states that Business Intelligence Modelling (BIM) implementation is
a major factor that impacts the successful construction of high rise buildings. Theme 4
identifies that social requirements of residents tend to impact the overall planning,
construction and operability of residential high rise buildings. According to theme 5, modular
construction is an important trend for the effective and sustainable construction of high rise
buildings. Finally, theme 6 emphasises upon the comparison between timber and concrete as
appropriate material for high rise construction.
High rise building is typically described as a building having tall facades, small roof area, and
small footprint. One major point of differentiation between conventional medium rise and
low rise buildings is that there is a need for special engineering systems because of its height.
High rise is basically any structure in which height significantly affects evacuation. Due to
intense urbanisation and population growth, high rise buildings are becoming extremely
prevalent across city areas where constructing vast regions of houses and lawns is not
possible. Hence, high rise buildings are practically treated as relevant solutions for residing
larger population in a smaller area. The key findings of this research can be reviewed by
practitioners in the construction industry for considerably enhancing the ecological conditions
of urban regions through high rise construction using relevant materials and technologies.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgement......................................................................................................................2
Abstract......................................................................................................................................3
List of Figures............................................................................................................................5
List of Tables..............................................................................................................................6
Chapter 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................7
1.1 Research Overview..........................................................................................................7
1.2 Research Rationale...........................................................................................................8
1.3 Research Aim, Objectives and Questions........................................................................9
1.4 Research Significance......................................................................................................9
1.5 Research Approach and Structure..................................................................................10
Chapter 2: Literature Review...................................................................................................12
2.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................12
2.2 Current Trends of High-Rise Construction....................................................................12
2.3 Environmental Impacts of High-Rise Buildings and Construction Activities...............15
2.3.1 Negative Impacts.....................................................................................................15
2.3.2 Positive Impacts......................................................................................................18
2.4 Factors Affecting High-Rise Construction.....................................................................18
2.5 Appropriate Materials and Construction Technology for High-Rise Buildings.............22
Conclusion............................................................................................................................38
Chapter 3: Research Methodology...........................................................................................38
Chapter 4: Data Analysis..........................................................................................................46
4.1 Overview........................................................................................................................46
4.2 Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and Key Themes.................................................46
4.3 Summary........................................................................................................................55
Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion....................................................................................56
Introduction..........................................................................................................................56
RO1: To identify the positive and negative impacts of high-rise buildings and construction
activities on the natural environment...................................................................................56
RO2: To critically evaluate key factors those impact the quality and sustainable design of
high-rise buildings................................................................................................................58
RO3: To recommend the use of appropriate materials and construction technology for
effective construction of high-rise buildings........................................................................60
Conclusion................................................................................................................................63
6.1 Final Conclusion............................................................................................................63
6.2 Practical Recommendations...........................................................................................64

6.3 Limitations and Future Recommendations....................................................................65
References................................................................................................................................66
List of Figures
Figure 1:Tallest Building in the World.....................................................................................12
Figure 2: Formation of urban heat island.................................................................................14
Figure 3: Temperature inversion..............................................................................................15
Figure 4: Lakhta Centre in St. Petersburg................................................................................18
Figure 5: Comparing Material System Applicable in High-Rise Construction (2015 to 2019)
..................................................................................................................................................21
Figure 6: Categories of Concrete Structure for High Rise Buildings......................................22
Figure 7: Frame Structure of Steel and Concrete in a High Rise Building..............................23
Figure 8: Key Concerns and Considerations of Timber Use in Buildings...............................27
Figure 9: 3D Printed House in Beijing, China.........................................................................28
Figure 10: Eco-friendly Construction of Bioplasic Building...................................................29
Figure 11: Atrium in the Hotel of Marina Bay Sands..............................................................29
Figure 12: CO2 Emissions throughout the Life Cycle of High Rise Buildings.......................35
Figure 13: Research Onion Framework...................................................................................36
Figure 14: PRISMA model for selection of articles.................................................................40

List of Tables
Table 1: Indicative Attributes of Different Glass Categories...................................................25
Table 2: Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria for SLR..................................................................41

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Research Overview
The enhanced growth of cities and the contributing urban density tends to drive a dramatic
increase in the construction of tall or high rise buildings. While the trend for high rise
construction is clear, there are still various concerns regarding the sustainability of high rise
buildings (Abramov, 2018). With the increased height of a building, there are increased
demands of engineering on the system. As a result, the operational and energy requirements
of the constructed high rise buildings are more than traditional construction of low rise
buildings. For the purpose of this research, it is necessary to consider high rise construction
with respect to urban density (Bester, 2013). According to a recent research conducted by
Council on Tall Building and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), buildings cannot be classified as a
standalone component as there are other factors like the energy influence and infrastructure
requirements of transportation (Wood and Du, 2017).
According to Wood and Du (2017), low rise development of suburban area require
approximately 5 to 10 times the level of energy and road infrastructure as high rise
construction. Thus, while construction of tall building is a standalone solution, there is
inherently high embodiment of energy. High rise construction can be included in the overall
solution for sustainability in the broader context (Wood and Du, 2017). This is the reason due
to which independent experts agree that it is easy for optimising sustainability across smaller
region than constructing an urban sprawl. There is often avoidance of transportation issues
and their relative economic and health impacts. As a result, urban sprawl is classified as a
worse option than high rise construction (Chua et al., 2018).
However, for industrial expertise, it is crucial for challenging the sustainability of standalone
high rise building while identifying it as a solution rather than an issue for climate and
resource crises. A significantly trending, power tool for new innovative ways to develop
sustainable solutions on high rise construction is the scope for integrating with the digital
environment. It is possible to design tall building as platforms to seek full benefit of futuristic
and latest smart technologies (Ahmad et al., 2017). Multiple smart sensors can transfer data
to the integrated systems of building management enabling the optimisation and adaptation of
improved security, safety, and energy efficiency. In addition, integration of smart technology

with architecture can assist in improving productivity and comfort for users of building and
creating new opportunities and experiences for collaboration.
Hence, it is clear that the overall demand of high rise construction is trending. This research
will focus on exploring these trends while evaluating the environmental impacts of high rise
buildings and construction. The research will also elaborate upon various materials and
technologies that should be utilised for enhancing the sustainability of high rise construction.
1.2 Research Rationale
The conceptual understanding of environmental enhancement is growing at a rapid pace in
the current era, specifically in terms of property development. Responsibility to support
future generations for receiving benefits and reducing negative development effects turn out
to be the key goal (Voskresenskaya and Vorona-Slivinskaya, 2018). This concept has to be
adopted for balancing interaction between the development and environment. Current
researchers like Voskresenskaya and Vorona-Slivinskaya (2018) and Ahmad et al. (2017)
have highlighted various issues regarding the performance of high rise residential
construction and practices of environmental enhancement. Issues that are being increased
due to high rise residential creation include: solid waste, water pollution, toxic
generation, land use that are decreasing places of living animals. Residential areas are
being developed and built by using natural resources. Using natural resources such as:
woods for making attractive furniture’s and others can have negative environmental
impacts. So, all these issues are affecting environment, people and animals to the great
extent.
Researchers like Razali and Adnan (2015) have also identified that the practice level for
environmental awareness increment across property businesses in developed nations is high
but due to lack of awareness they are not focusing on green practices. They all need to be
made aware about consequences of using natural and environmental things for residential
practices. Whereas, several developing nations like India are yet to progress in the area of
high rise construction, let alone environmental enhancement through high rise buildings for
urban area management such as the progress made in UK (Ahmad et al., 2017). There are
further issues regarding the maintenance of building performance through property business.
In support, it was revealed by Chua et al. (2018) that the maintenance of building could also
not enable the achievement of standard performance level.