Civil Engineering

Sustainability and the Future

Group 7 Instructor:
CEIT-02-104A Engr. J.J. Sotto
Introduction
 Civil engineering incorporates a
broad range of different job roles.
From the construction of highways
and buildings to dams, tunnels,
bridges and other smaller facilities, it
is undeniable to conclude that its role
and responsibility is vast.
However, expertise of engineers is of
no use if creating such infrastructures
(construction) has no building
materials from various sources, be it a
natural or artificial resource. In
addition, construction also involves
activities like use of machineries,
demolition of existing structures,
cutting down of trees, and use of
green fields which can impact
environment in one or more ways.
Sustainable Development
The American Society of Civil
Engineers (ASCE) Code of Ethics was
designed so that a standard could be
put in place as to how engineers should
practice professionally. This Code of
Ethics lays out seven Fundamental
Canons that an engineer shall always
govern their actions by. The first of
these Canons introduces us to the
concept of Sustainable Development:
 
“Engineers shall hold paramount the safety,
health, and welfare of the public and shall
strive to comply with the principles of
sustainable development in the performance
of their professional duties.” (ASCE Code
of Ethics, 1996)
 
The statement above is also referred as
the golden rule of engineering.
Sustainability
Sustainability can be defined in two
ways:
1. Sustainability, in a broader sense, is a
method of using a resource in a way
that the resource is not depleted or
permanently damaged (Merriam-
Webster Online Dictionary).
2. Sustainability, in simplest term, is to
endure, maintain, or prolong.
On the other hand, American
Society of Civil Engineers defines
sustainability as “a set of economic,
environmental and social conditions in
which all of society has the capacity
and opportunity to maintain and
improve its quality of life indefinitely,
without degrading the quantity,
quality or the availability of natural,
economic, and social resources.”
Need for Sustainable Development
Earth is One System
- The security, quality of
life, and global
sustainability are linked
together. Therefore, not
achieving sustainable
development could lead to
a planet with no
resources.
Stabilize relationship of human,
economy, and environment

The essence of this form of

development is a stable
relationship between human
activities and the natural world,
which does not diminish the
prospects for future generations
to enjoy a quality of life at least as
good as our own.
Environmental
Sustainable development
shall aim at making natural
resources still usable up to the
next generation and it is part
of engineers’ duty to use these
resources in an effective
manner without depleting
them.
Economic
- Sustainable development shall also at
aim at being cost-effective. Engineering
is inclined with developing the physical
infrastructure we all rely on – transport
networks, roads, bridges, water and
energy supplies, and waste
management. And by building this
infrastructure, engineering has a much
wider and more lasting impact – it must
help to fuel economic growth.
Social
Sustainable development should
not just also aim at enhancing one’s
environment and economic growth.
It also encompasses on shaping the
society and improve the way
people live and work which in
turn, will productively impact both
of the mentioned aspect above.
What Can Engineers Do?
Sustainable Design

• is the philosophy of designing physical

objects and services to comply with the
principles of social, economic, and
ecological sustainability.
• reduces the negative impact on the
environment and human health, thus
improving the performance during a
building’s life cycle.
• careful consideration is given to water,
energy, building materials, and solid waste.
Principles of Sustainable Design

1. Optimizing use of the sun

2. Improving indoor air quality
3. Using the land responsibly
4. Creating high-performance and
moisture-resistant houses
5. Wisely using the Earth’s natural
resources
Green Building
Buildings that are designed, built, renovated,
operated and decommissioned in an
ecological and resource-efficient manner to:
protect occupant health
improve employee productivity
use energy, water, and other resources
more efficiently
reduce the overall impact to the
environment
Green Building
-primarily consists of the following:
Sustainable Construction

the optimization of construction

activities in a way that does not
have harmful effects on resources,
surroundings and living
ecosystem.
it is a way of minimizing harmful
environmental impacts of
construction projects.
construction involves activities
like use of building materials
from various sources, use of
machineries, demolition of
existing structures, use of green
fields, cutting down of trees etc.
which can impact environment
in one or more ways.
How to Reduce Wastes from Demolition of Building and
Structures:

 Eliminate – avoid producing

construction waste in the first
place.
 Reduce – minimize the amount
of waste you produce.
 Reuse – reuse the construction
wastes in other works.
Recover (recycling,
composting, energy) –
recycle what you can only
after you have reused it.
Dispose – dispose of
what is left in a
responsible way.
Use of Sustainable Building Materials

◦Recycled Content
◦Natural and renewable
◦Locally available
◦Durable
◦Energy Efficiency
◦Affordability
Ensuring Sustainable Construction

In order to support

sustainability in the field of
construction, the building
and the built environment
have to satisfy some of the
important criteria. This will
include:
1.
Biodiversity
Enhancement
◦ Sustainable Construction
must stop threatening use of
environment or species
wherever possible so that the
natural habitat is not
affected.
2.
Support to the
Community
◦Support and help should
reach to the real need,
aspirations and real
requirements. Also involve
the needed in the key
decisions.
3.
Effective Use of
Resources
◦ Overconsumption of
misappropriate amount of
resources like land, money,
use or disposal, construction
must be stopped. The building
constructed have to be
affordable and manageable.
4.
Pollution
Reduction
◦Less dependency on
pollution causing
products and materials,
transports, power and
energy are encouraged.
 5. Creating Healthy Environment
◦Instead of endangering the health of
worker, builders and occupants’
construction must enhance leisure,
living and the working environments.
Around 40% of total energy
consumption and greenhouse gas
emissions are directly due to
construction and operation of
buildings. The best of to reduce this
impact is the use of green buildings
construction techniques.
6. Process Management
◦ Too many aspirations for a
project will won’t give
sustainable construction. Hence,
identification of appropriate
targets, benchmarks and tools
along with their proper
management will give
sustainability in construction.
Future of Sustainable Development in Civil
Engineering
The ever-growing demand for
transportation infrastructure, a
continuing increase in population and
concerns of Global Warming has
made educating new engineers on the
concept of sustainable development
never more important. Today’s civil
engineering student is exposed to the
need for sustainable development
from many directions.
Civil engineers have a leading role in
planning, designing, building, and
ensuring a sustainable future by
providing the bridge between science and
society. In this role, engineers must
actively promote and participate in
multidisciplinary teams with other
professionals, such as ecologists,
economists, and sociologists, and work
with the communities served and affected
to effectively address the issues and
challenges of sustainable development.