Sustainability and construction haven’t always been in harmony. However, things are changing. In 2021 Autodesk found that 82% of architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms are equipped with a sustainability group in their place. 74 % of AEC companies invest directly in the latest technology to enhance sustainability.
Furthermore, sustainable construction has become a standard for construction plans since most construction companies claim that customer retention is essential to their sustainability efforts. Planning and thinking sustainably have been proven to boost efficiency and decrease consumption. Three out of four construction companies have reported that sustainability initiatives improved resource utilization.
The benefits of sustainable building are huge, but implementing them can be challenging. AEC companies are looking at technology to help them get on the right path toward sustainability. Here are some cases where technology has facilitated the successful implementation of sustainable construction and operation.
Energy Analysis Plugins Achieve Net Zero Energy Design
Amid a fight to secure funding, the Benjamin Banneker Academic High School’s design in Washington, DC, could meet the requirements. This Perkins Eastman team, led by architect Omar Calderon Santiago, took an integrated approach to design, considering the environmental, technological, economic, and social aspects at every step of the process. The sustainability goals are focused explicitly on the connection between well-being and energy.
The team utilized a combination of 3D modeling using SketchUp and daylight and energy analysis using Sefaira’s plugin for SketchUp and Climate Studio to achieve a net zero energy level for the school. The tools were able to help the team provide occupant comfort by careful examination of thermal comfort, daylight as well as acoustics, and the quality of air without sacrificing the quality of design. In the past, Perkins Eastman relied on external consultants to analyze energy and innovation. However, thanks to SketchUp’s Sefaira program, The team can keep all of their designs within the same program and concentrate on improving the performance of their building.
Sustainable Stats:
- Attained net zero energy status by aiming to achieve a pEUI of 19.9KBTU/SF/yr–a 72% increase from baseline with no solar photovoltaics (PVs) and a 100 percent improvement with PVs.
- Well-lit and well-designed spaces that have autonomous spatial daylight (sDA) that is 66.4 percent for all used areas, and just 3.4 percent of annual sunlight exposure (ASE)
- Earned LEED Platinum Certification
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Detailed BIM Modeling Reduces Material Waste
Concrete construction companies Wayne Brothers is no stranger to the possibilities in BIM (building information modeling). The company started employing Tekla Structures in 2012 to create models of its commercial and industrial projects to improve quality and speed up design. Utilizing precise BIM modeling of Sierra Nevada’s East Coast Multi-Structure Brewery project allowed the team to reduce the waste of rebar materials dramatically.
The structure of the fermentation tank is a 12,000 square-foot concrete structure with hundreds of blocks and embeds outs, requiring meticulous planning to avoid a lapse in judgment and rework and then waste. Tekla could be used to outline the rebars and plan work-related activities. There was no second-guessing. Not only did the 3D model cut an entire week off the 3-month timeframe, however, but it also led to no discordances in the rebar due to detailing or fabrication mistakes. In this kind of project, there would be 10-15% rebar wasted. However, it was reduced to less than one percent, or less than two tons, from 300 tonnes of steel.
Sustainable Stats:
- Rebar from projects was reduced to less than one percent, rather than the usual 10-15 percent
- Earned LEED Platinum Certification
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Machine Control Technology Reduces Emissions and Resource Consumption
In 2000, Aldridge Electric was tasked with developing, manufacturing, and installing thousands of miles of conduit, cable, and maintenance holes to support the brand-new Dekalb Data Center initiative within Dekalb, Illinois; they knew that it would require extensive budgeting and planning. The project team employed BIM models to review design, clash detection, and prefabrication possibilities at the office and turned to machine control devices on the ground.
Trimble Earthworks systems on excavators and dozers seamlessly integrate into the company’s workflow that is connected. 3D models are uploaded into Trimble Business Center and then to the machines. Work is completed with high precision through the control equipment for devices working on the site. Workers install objects within a half-inch of tolerance. The result was that excavators were more efficient and less needed for rework. It also reduced the amount of fuel and emissions. The correct installation with machines that control the device the first time limits the time and resources used on the job.
Sustainable Stats:
- Machine control devices enhanced the installation’s precision, reducing the amount of fuel used and emissions.
- The finished data center will be among the most efficient in the United States, running on 100 percent renewable energy and using water at 80% less than the typical data center.
- Created to help LEED Gold achieve Certification
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Offsite Fabrication Reduces Emissions and Increases Efficiency
A study from 2021 conducted by Hanyang University in Korea found industrialized construction can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40% compared to traditional methods. Cooper Electrical Construction Company realized this advantage while expanding the prefabrication process to meet the fast-paced schedules of projects and beat the market rivals.
The top electrical and instrumentation and controls contractor selected Trimble SysQue detailing software. Compared with Autodesk Revit, SysQue created more precise design models based on natural components. The models provided enough detail to ensure that you can create offsite production and scale. Utilizing SysQue has allowed the business to shift 60% of the labor required for fielding the cable tray and conduit fabrication from the work site to their fabrication facility offsite. In addition to the lower emissions of offsite fabrication heeds, Cooper Electrical has seen immense efficiency, safety, and quality improvement.
Sustainable Stats:
- Prefabrication of construction reduces CO2 emissions by 40 percent, compared with traditional methods in a 2021 study conducted by Hanyang University.
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Mixed Reality eliminates carbon footprint by providing on-site training.
The British multinational company that provides energy and services, Centrica, recognizes the need for digital transformation in the energy industry. Together with the Net Zero Technology Centre, mixed reality expert VISR Dynamics, and Microsoft, the team has studied mixed Reality and its potential to optimize processes, productivity, safety, and efficiency and aid in the transition to net zero.
Centrica has embraced mixed Reality to link frontline workers at energy plants with over-the-shoulder and digital support from engineers in the energy field. Centrica engineers can design and implement maintenance and process instructions based on the anchor points that are spatially located at a physical location. To ensure the device would be safe for use within the ATEX levels two or higher, The VISR team decided to collaborate with Trimble Field Technologies to deliver the mixed reality capabilities inside a hardhat-like form factor.
This mixed-reality technology is employed for training as well as offshore recertification. Before engineers needed to travel by air to offshore locations, each trip costing more than PS10,000 and creating unneeded emissions. Engineers now keep track of their work with mixed-reality devices. These can be monitored remotely by the appropriate certified.
Sustainable Stats:
- Training on-site using mixed Reality can eliminate the carbon footprint of traveling to offshore locations and helps save thousands of dollars.
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Unique Leak Detection Program Minimizes Water Loss
It is estimated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 16 percent of the total water consumed across the United States is lost, as high as 30 percent at the upper end. That’s right, this treated and collected water is never delivered to the user who needs it and is a waste of resources. Central Arkansas Water’s GIS Division has developed a unique method to reduce water loss. It is based on a black lab mix rescue dog called Vessel.
The Vessel can detect any surface water in the Central Arkansas Water District to determine if it is contaminated with chlorine. Contrarily the human leak detection crew has to analyze water samples to decide whether it’s rainwater or a leak in the utility system. If a chlorine-containing leak is identified, the system can be fixed and water loss reduced. Alongside Vessel’s efforts, the utility required digital tracking and turned to Cityworks as its current asset management system. The GIS division designed a custom field category within Cityworks to monitor and report the accuracy and efficiency of the Canine Leak Protection Program.
Sustainable Stats:
- Expected to lower the average of non-revenue water, i.e., water loss ranging between 10 and 5 percent using the Canine Leak Protection Program
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Detailed BIM Modeling and Offsite Construction Achieve Zero Waste Fabrication
Sigmat is a U.K. leader in light-gauge steel framing and understands the impact that 3D modeling can have on construction offsite. Using the best tools capable of detecting clashes, enhancing detail, and real-time visualization, the team constructs their projects twice simultaneously: once in the digital world and the second time on site. Sigmat utilizes Tekla software to create models accurately and efficiently and believes that if the software works within the computer model, it can work on-site.
Sigmat has gone as far as to integrate the Sig-Dek decking profile product in Tekla. Tekla BIM library. Being able to access this product-specific information further increases the level of precision. This level of accuracy in the virtual design and construction (VDC) processes lets Sigmat eliminate waste in construction offsite. Furthermore, the right quantities of material are always ordered due to automatic quantity take-offs. This means that no work is needed because of detailing or fabrication mistakes.
Sustainable Stats:
- A precise BIM modeling can lead to accurate construction installations. There is no need for rework, and there is no waste generated.
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Linear Scheduling Software Prompts On-Time Project Delivery and Subsequent Emissions Reduction
A high-speed rail line that includes 1,600 king posts, 3000 towers, and 300 kilometers of overhead lines made of aluminum and fiber optic cable completed in time is almost unheard of. This is precisely what happened during the Cologne-Rhine/Mainline construction in Germany. THOST Project Management knew that such a large-scale project and complex would require extensive planning and control of deadlines.
To handle the variety of interconnections between various sectors, they utilized Trimble Tilos, a scheduling system designed explicitly for linear construction sites. Tilos contains a variety of algorithms that have information about the period of processes, equipment, employees, costs of the process, and other relevant costs. Information like amounts, resources, and associated performance figures are correlated with each step and stored in libraries.
The open-data linear scheduling program lets teams share data and update information in real-time. This software was crucial to ensure that the project was delivered promptly. On-time delivery meant that fewer resources were required to complete the project. Moreover, the high-speed rail could start quicker, replacing the road and decreasing carbon emissions.