Mandatory - Sustainability

Question 1

Why is sustainability important?

Answer 1

Construction is 6% of GDP so is unlikely to stop. Climate change, resource usage and waste, and water management all need a radical shift to help protect the earth.

Question 2

What are typical environment issues faced on site?

Answer 2

Dust
Noise
Chemicals
Asbestos
Waste disposal
Sewage
Petrol/ diesel
Surface water

Question 3

What regulations and codes of practise govern the construction industry’s approach to sustainability?

Answer 3

Building Regs, Doc L – Conservation of fuel and power.
Energy Performance Certificates
Display Energy Certificates
Site waste management plans
BREEAM

Question 4

What is a sustainable development?

Answer 4

A development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future generations ability to meet their own needs. Consider the principles of social, environment and economic.
Social = the development should respond to the needs of the wider community. E.g. build a library by a school, not a McDonalds.
Environment = use materials and build in a manner that doesn’t cause irreversible damage to the environment. Try to enhance the environment where possible.
Economic = Be efficient with the design and the materials required. Make sure the end product meets the functional requirements of the users.

Question 5

What is the Paris Agreement?

Answer 5

A global framework/ agreement to limit the impact of climate change. Definitely keep global warming below 2 degrees, preferable 1.5 degrees. Each country makes their own plan and then regularly reports back.

Question 6

What does my company do to be sustainable?

Answer 6

Recycles
Limits travel
Encourages use of electric cars and public transport

Question 7

What Building Regs relate to sustainability?

Answer 7

Part L – Conservation of fuel and power.

Question 8

Name some sustainable technology?

Answer 8

Solar panels
Air source heat pumps
Ground source heat pumps
Secondary glazing
Insulated lime
Wind turbines
Insulation
SuDs
Green roofs
Solar shading
PV roof tiles

Question 9

What is a U-Value?

Answer 9

Measures how effectively a material is as an insulator. The lower the u-value, the better insulation.

Question 10

How does a soakaway work?

Answer 10

Holds standing surface water in a pit and allows it to percolate slowly into the ground to reduce risk of flooding.

Question 11

What does BREEAM stand for?

Answer 11

Building Research Establishment, Environmental Assessment Method.

Question 12

What is BREEAM?

Answer 12

An international scheme that provides and independent assessment of a project’s sustainability performance. The project is assessed over several stages, from design through to completion. The design team can pick credits that are suitable for the project, client, environment and location.

Question 13

What are the main BREEAM assessment categories?

Answer 13

Management
Health & Wellbeing
Energy
Transport
Water
Materials
Waste
Land Use
Ecology
Pollution
Innovation

Question 14

What are the advantages of a BREEAM certification?

Answer 14

Compliance can improve environmental impact.
Can lessen the operational costs of the building.
Can improve the design of the building for the end user.
Can attract funding.
Industry recognised sustainable achievement.

Question 15

What are the BREEAM rating thresholds?

Answer 15

Outstanding – 85+
Excellent – 70
Very good – 55
Good – 45
Pass – 30

Question 16

How have you contributed to the BREEAM process?

Answer 16

Cost planning
Value engineering to assist with buildability
Life cycle costing

Question 17

What is carbon neutral?

Answer 17

Having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.

Question 18

How can solar gain be prevented in buildings?

Answer 18

Brise soleil.
Don’t face the glazing south.
Use reflective glazing.

Question 19

What is Passivhaus?

Answer 19

A type of building that uses around 90% less energy than a standard UK building. Tries to reduce the need for heating by reducing heat loss to a minimum.

Question 20

What is SBEM?

Answer 20

Simplified Building Energy Model. Calculates the energy performance of a new commercial, industrial or retail building.

Question 21

What does an EPC contain?

Answer 21

Shows the energy efficiency of a building in a traffic light and graded system. A being the best and G being the worst. An indication of how much it will cost to heat and power a property. Recommendations of how to improve the building, how much it will cost and what the savings could be. Listed buildings are exempt from EPCs.

Question 22

What are SuDs?

Answer 22

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems. Designed to manage the drainage of surface water to help combat the strain on our ancient drainage system.

Question 23

Can you provide some examples of SuDs?

Answer 23

Swales
Permeable paving
Attenuation tanks
Ponds
Green roofs
Rainwater harvesting.

Question 24

What does the National Planning Policy Framework say about sustainable development?

Answer 24

The purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, this is achieved using 3 overarching objectives. These are an economic objective, a social objective and an environmental objective.

Question 25

What are the most recent EU / UK targets relating to sustainability?

Answer 25

Climate Change Act 2008 – commitment to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 100% on 1990 levels by 2050.

Question 26

What did the UK Climate Change Act 2008 do?

Answer 26

Enable UK to become low carbon economy and gives minster powers to introduce the measures as necessary to achieve a range of greenhouse gas reduction targets

Question 27

How can buildings impact upon the environment?

Answer 27

Energy usage
Air and atmosphere – emissions
Construction materials using resources
Land use

Question 28

What is Off Site Manufacturing?

Answer 28

Modern method of construction where parts of a building are made and sometimes connected offsite, usually in an environmentally controlled atmosphere. Benefits from machination and economies of scale.

Question 29

How does building conservation relate to sustainability?

Answer 29

There is embodied carbon in existing buildings that we don’t want to release by knocking down. A new building would the require more carbon and materials to create. Better to lower the existing building’s carbon emissions through thermal improvements.