Changing planet and the built environment

CHANGING PLANET

AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

There have been numerous discussions on how the construction industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and waste production . However, the factors of Earth’s increasing population size and of the over-use of resources both play key roles in placing a greater strain on our planet as it is impacted by modern living . Instead of focusing on how the built environment affects our planet, our focus should be on how our changing planet will influence how we build .

Due to irresponsible planning, fossil fuels usage, and exploitation of resources, glaciers are melting and causing sea levels to rise . As well, wildlife is being threatened and is diminishing; the ocean is acidifying due to absorption of excessive CO2; Coral reefs are dying; and mercury pollution in the oceans from coal-fired plants is poisoning our food supply .

Current NASA data on vital signs of the planet shows the following: • Carbon dioxide levels in the air are at their highest in 650,000 years (409 parts per million) . • Seventeen of the warmest years on record have occurred since 2001, and the global temperature has increased 1 .8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880 . • Arctic ice has been decreasing by 12 .8% per decade . • Satellite data show that Earth’s polar ice sheets are losing mass by 413 giga tons per year . • The global average sea level has risen nearly 7 feet (178mm over the past 100 years) at 3 .2 millimeters per year . Studies have also found that civilization’s appetite for natural resources, such as water, clean air, and raw materials, are outstripping the planet’s ability to regenerate and renew . Excessive extraction of raw materials, for production of goods and materials to meet demands of an increasing world population, is placing a strain on the Earth’s resources .

Global warming and over-use of natural resources without considered replacement are modifying our climate, resulting in a rise in extreme weather events such as hurricanes, heavier rainfall, wild fires, and destructive storms .

PREPARING FOR CHANGES

Within the construction industry, action is being taken to mitigate planetary impacts through various measures (such as waste segregation); focus on the three Rs (re-use, reduce, recycle); building for climate resilience through Passive House; more intensive building codes; and other environmental standards such as LEED, and the Living Building Challenge . The construction industry has made leaps in minimizing wastage, reduced energy usage, and greenhouse gas emissions, supported by government and other associations . However, it has to be considered that we have perhaps reached a ‘tipping point’ and, although we are making changes, there is the potential that we cannot fully rectify the damage already done . In spite of all good intentions to turn things around, the industry may need to be prepared to face these changes .

The construction industry will be affected in the following ways:

CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

Productivity delays will result from extreme and unpredictable weather – e .g . rain and cold temperatures are not ideal conditions for concrete pours – which invariably result in construction delays and a rise in disputes and litigation . While contractors can obtain non-compensable time extensions, clients sometimes include supplementary conditions that preclude award of extra time for adverse weather conditions . Increasingly, extreme weather conditions will be commonplace, so contractors will need to change their business plans accordingly, and developers are going to have to factor in delays with regards to revenues – essentially weather risk management .

CHANGE IN DESIGN

There will be continued implications on energy demand due to increased temperature fluctuations – it is predicted that energy used worldwide for cooling will outstrip heating by 2060 . Over the next 30 years, the installation of cooling equipment will increase dramatically, so mechanical services designs may find much more energy usage is for cooling rather than heating . The focus so far has been on reduced electrical use to reduce emissions and renewable technologies for electricity generation, but little investigation has gone into technologies to provide green designs for increased cooling capacity .

LABOUR

Common building strategies and materials suit specific climates, design, and planning align with local weather or geography, and construction teams work outside in the elements . Therefore, it is important that resilience to weather is built into the risk . Labour will always be an issue within an industry that needs a large, skilled, labour force for projects . As a side note, an aging workforce with limited young people interested in entering the field has always been an issue . So, how does our changing planet affect labour? With more extreme weather there is destruction of homes and infrastructure, and labour moves to deal with demand . An example is the Fort McMurray fires in 2016, where labour migrated back to Alberta due to rebuilding of homes . This had an impact on British Columbia, which had been relying on this labour and caused labour shortages and subsequent increased costs .

MATERIALS

Extreme weather contributes to material shortages and timely delivery . Flooding, droughts, and storms can also cause problems in sourcing materials, e .g . flooding in areas that provide natural resources for construction materials can cause shortages . Also, wild fires have had an adverse impact on the forestry industry and lumber supply . In 2017 alone, wildfires in BC claimed a year’s worth of lumber in the province, restricting domestic supply as well as the ability to support others – for example where US homes are being destroyed by hurricanes and tornadoes, and materials are needed – adding upward pressure on lumber needed for rebuilding .

With an increasing world population and cities ballooning, we have continued to draw upon the Earth’s resources for construction . Sand, an essential ingredient for concrete, is running out . After water, it is the most consumed natural resource on the planet . Sand was typically extracted in land quarries and riverbeds, but these inland resources have been depleted so extraction has moved to marine and coastal areas . Unfortunately, our abundant desert areas cannot be used as their sand is fine-grained and has low shear strength . Sand is also being extracted from ocean floors, which causes further issues with sand from surrounding areas and beaches then sliding to fill gaps, causing disappearances on beaches an d, in more extreme cases, entire islands .

With our continued extreme use of the Earth’s resources and the desire to building higher and bigger, where concrete is the main material, the construction industry may need to consider alternatives such as recycled building materials, and perhaps looking at existing stock to deal with burgeoning housing demands .

EQUIPMENT

Weather conditions can also affect the performance and deterioration of construction equipment . Strong winds can put a strain on equipment, and dry weather can increase dust on the job site, which can put a strain on inner machinery . Productivity is also affected, e .g ., muddy conditions slowing down equipment thus causing schedule impacts . Construction companies will therefore have to change equipment procedures to deal with changing weather patterns, and factor these risks into project planning .

CONCLUSION

Our reality is that the construction industry has to respond to our changing planet, through both mitigation and adaptation – making a significant contribution to stabilizing global warming, limiting use of natural resources, and adapting to the changes already in the pipeline . According to NASA, even if the entire planet stopped emitting greenhouse gases today, global warming and climate change will continue to affect future generations . Our burgeoning population is an ongoing fact and greater consideration needs to be given to how we use resources sparingly – and not overshoot the planet’s ability to renew .

The construction industry can address these issues through greater investment in innovation and research, continued education in low and net-zero design, and continued lobbying for sustainable practices .

About the author

Angela Lai, FRICS, PQS, LEED AP O+M is the Managing Partner of Core Two, a property and construction cost consultancy based in Vancouver, BC, and is on the instructing team for Passive House Canada . Angela has over 17 years’ experience in the construction and development industry spanning South Africa, the UK, and Canada . Angela’s experience is diverse having worked as a cost manager, loan monitor, and a management consultant, and having specialist expertise in sustainability, life cycle and FM costing . She is the current past President of CIQS – BC, past Director for the CIQS National Board and Vice Chair of the RICS BC chapter . She also teaches at BCIT and for the RICS training hub .