Translating Singapore architects' environmental awareness into decision making

Construction activity is known to have a major impact on the environment. Construction is a major consumer of a wide range of naturally occurring and synthesized resources. The extraction, processing and utilization of these resources can have various negative impacts on the environment. With increased awareness and knowledge of these impacts, efforts are being made to avoid these adverse effects. Among these is the selection and specification of appropriate materials. This paper studies the level of environmental awareness and knowledge of architects in Singapore when selecting and specifying materials during the design stage. Responses to a questionnaire indicate that the architects are aware of the environmental impacts of building materials, and knowledgeable about possible measures which could help avoid the problems. However, they are not adopting green design approaches. Key policy directions for government, professional bodies, educators and clients are made to enable Singapore architects to apply their knowledge of environmental issues in their design decisions.     

Sustainable construction: the development and evaluation of an environmental profiling system for construction products

There has been a rapid increase in the number of low environmental impact or ‘green’ buildings constructed in recent years, due to factors such as the UK government's Sustainable Development Strategy, new environmental legislation and perceived operational and business advantages. Consequently, the demand for up‐to‐date information, guidance and design ‘tools’ to help property professionals procure greener buildings also continues to grow. The development of a new edition of one such tool: The Green Guide to Specification, was based on research designed to evaluate user needs and current design and specification practices and expectations. Many property professionals do not use environmental tools on all projects because of time considerations and the disruption caused by having to take an ‘extra step’ in the design and specification process. Specifiers would only use such tools either when instructed to do so by clients or because of the specifier's own organisational green agenda. For environmental tools to be more widely used, information should also be embedded within commonly used specification programmes such as the National Building Specification (NBS) as well as in stand‐alone versions.     

高速公路路面使用性能及其环境影响评价综述

通过分析对比国内外各种关于高速公路路面使用性能及其对环境影响的研究,简要评述和汇总了国内外评价研究现状,以期能为我国高速公路路面性能评价及养护提供合理建议。     

建筑室内装饰装修设计中的绿色环保设计

分析了室内环境污染的类型及来源，从装修设计、材料选择、植物配置和环境检测四个方面阐述了室内“绿色环保”装修的内容与方法，展望了“绿色环保”装修的意义与前景。     

面向资源环境数据的网络服务总体设计研究

在分析资源环境数据管理研究现状的基础上,提出了基于WebGIS技术的资源环境数据管理方案,详细论述了资源环境数据的网络体系结构设计、功能设计等内容,对环境研究过程中海量影像数据的使用及管理方法进行了积极探索。     

超高层建筑结构优化过程中的环境成本计算

近年来中国大陆掀起了超高层建筑的兴建热潮。超高层建筑体量巨大,其碳排放和能源消耗对环境有显著影响。在评估和优化超高层建筑的全生命周期环境成本时,提出了一个全新的全生命周期模型。新模型有两大特征：首先,同时考虑了建筑材料的空间分布与时间特征;其次,把单尺度生命周期概念拓展到多尺度生命周期概念,以从更多角度来研究碳排放情况。建立了一个基准超高层建筑模型来阐释对新模型的应用。根据初步研究结果,应用新方法可以选择出更优化的结构设计方法,以最大程度减少碳排放量。     

Assessing the environmental performance of buildings: trends,lessons and tensions

ABSTRACT

Since the 1970s, intense discussions have occurred within the research and practitioner communities on how to assess and influence the environmental performance of buildings. Many different methods, criteria and tools were developed to raise awareness, enable goal formulation, support design and decision-making processes, and evaluate a building’s environmental performance. This development can be retraced through the example of the works of Raymond J. Cole, who made an important contribution to this scientific debate. The integration of environmental performance into a sustainability assessment, the ongoing development of life cycle assessment (LCA) methods, and clients’, financiers’ and assessors’ different demands for environmental performance assessment, raise additional questions and highlight the conflicting goals. Six topics are examined in relation to current developments: the further development of the classic ‘three pillars’ sustainability model; the suitability of assessment criteria and indicators; the handling of technological progress; the discounting of environmental impacts; the environmental assessment of existing buildings; and the further development of legal requirements. ‘Time’ is a key factor relating to LCA, weighing current versus future emissions, ecological value and recycling potential of existing buildings or ‘options’ for different ways to use the building in future. Recommended actions are provided for key stakeholders.     

Thermal Drying of Sewage Sludge

Over the next decade the UK will experience significant, imposed changes in the quantity of sewage sludge produced and in the means available for its disposal. Existing practices are being reappraised and new technologies are being explored to cope with a predicted 40% increase in the quantity for disposal. Thermal drying of sludge undoubtedly has a role to play in coping with this demand.
The two principal process types, i.e. direct and indirect heat application, are appraised in depth and a comparison is drawn. A case study is identified to examine the energy demands of the process, including the potential for heat recovery and for resource reuse. The environmental impact of a typical process is also examined.