Construction is one of the sectors that has the biggest impact on the environment. But in the recent past many construction companies have shifted their emphasis towards sustainability. Practicing sustainability in its true sense is not only helpful for the environment but also useful for construction companies in many aspects. In this article, there are options that construction firms can consider to strive for substantial and real sustainability.

Reduce Material Waste

Construction activities involve the production of large amounts of waste materials as a result of various construction processes. Measures like planning and ordering materials for construction in the right proportion can go a long way in reducing wastage. Some other measures that can go a long way in reducing waste include; designing for standard sizes of a material and reusing scrap material as well. Implementation of proper sorting and recycling stations at the production site also contributes to the minimization of waste disposal in landfills. Waste reduction and recycling targets can also be established.

Electrical Takeoff Services and Estimating Services are quite helpful in enabling accurate material estimation during planning. This reduces instances where students order more than what they require or when the supplies are used up in a short period.

Increase Energy Efficiency

Equipment used in construction and site offices consumes a lot of energy. The efficiency of diesel generators is also very low. It is possible to decrease carbon footprints by changing to electric equipment that uses grid electricity or renewable energy.

Preferably, every site should make arrangements for the access of natural light and air in the workers’ zones. Turning on lights through motion detection, incorporating efficient heating and cooling systems, and changing to LED bulbs are also economical.

Adopt Sustainable Sourcing

Most of the Commercial Construction Estimating Services materials used have high embodied carbon due to the manufacturing process and transportation of the products. Indirect emissions such as carbon dioxide emissions can be cut down to half by using local timber or aggregates.

Companies should also prefer construction materials that are produced in an environmentally friendly way. Specifying products with recycled content, such as steel that contains recycled scrap, assists in creating a closed loop.

Reduce Equipment Emissions

Heavy construction machinery is usually associated with very high levels of emission. Modernization of equipment that incorporates better and more advanced technologies in handling emissions will go a long way in reducing pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The maintained machinery also has a lesser amount of emissions.

For smaller equipment, there are cleaner powertrain technologies, such as electric/hybrid engines, available in the market. Flexibility can be obtained through biodiesel or ethanol blends that may help in decreasing some emissions from standard diesel engines. Telematics and optimized load scheduling also contribute to machine efficiency.

Implement Water Conservation Measures

A lot of water is used on construction sites for different purposes. Such as using water-efficient fixtures, repairing leakage without delay, and putting in place rainwater harvesting systems are some of the measures that contribute to the conservation process. Using greywater for dust suppression or irrigation also saves fresh water for consumption and other purposes.

Special measures should be adopted to avoid pollution of natural water sources through the processes of erosion of soil or accidents involving chemicals. Silt fences, and designated material storage areas away from streams/groundwater assist in averting water pollution occurrences.

Optimize Transportation Logistics

Transportation results in significant emissions of greenhouse gases as well as other pollutants concerning construction undertakings. Avoiding needless transference of material over long distances or else reducing the frequency of such transference can considerably offset these effects if the material delivery schedules are planned logically.

Another way to reduce the amount of pollutants in the air is by having newer model trucks equipped with emissions controls or by shifting from conventional diesel or gasoline to biodiesel or electric vehicles. Reducing emissions is achieved by route optimization, and by avoiding congested hours on the road.

Restore Project Sites

Construction inevitably has negative impacts on local ecology at project sites. This calls for companies to ensure that they properly rehabilitate the areas used in a project upon completion. Such restoration efforts include the use of native plants in landscaping that offer shelter to local wildlife species.

There are also types of offsets that businesses need to do, such as the establishment of new protected conservation areas to balance the loss of habitats in the process. Access roads to be developed in the forests or mountains require reclaiming after construction to allow vegetation to regrow.

Adopt Sustainability Certifications

Seeking accredited sustainability certifications for new buildings also proves a construction firm’s intent to embrace sustainable standards. Certifications such as LEED, BREEAM, etc. involve establishing goals and achieving them based on some environmental factors.

Promoting such certifications can assist in attracting clients who appreciate environmental conservation efforts. It also encourages construction crews and other partners, such as architects, to strive to improve sustainability performance.

Conclusion

Full sustainability involves ensuring that Commercial Estimating Services firms embrace the principles of environmental responsibility in their operations. It requires capital expenditure but offers multiple returns in terms of resource utilization, reputation, legal requirement, and potential market.

Construction companies must ensure that there are measures put in place to check on various factors such as the quantity of material used, management of equipment, procurement policies, and manner of restoration, among others, to reduce their impact on the environment. Establishing sustainability goals and making them the focal point of a company’s strategy and management allows for real and sustainable change.