Environmental Product Declarations: Use in the Architectural and Engineering Design Process to Support Sustainable Construction

Burke, Rebekah; Parrish, Kristen; Asmar, Mounir El

doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0001481

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In this study, the results were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U-test to determine whether the different managerial groups possessed different ranking perceptions. The test was a nonparametric statistical test applicable to ordinal data; no normal distribution was assumed, and the sample group sizes could be different [68]. Three groups were identified: QMs, PMs, and CMs, which resulted in a total of six tests per group combination similar to a method adopted in [69] and is based on the following two hypotheses: H 0 : Null hypothesis: there is no difference between the groups; thus, they possess the same mean (H 0 : PM = CM = QM).…”

Section: Referencementioning

confidence: 99%

Managerial Practitioners’ Perspectives on Quality Performance of Green-Building Projects

Raouf

Al-Ghamdi

2020

Buildings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The quality performance of a green building will have an overarching effect on its objectives because of the high compliance needed to achieve superior performance expectations. Achieving sustainability objectives is challenging and requires the collaboration of diverse professionals that resume unique responsibilities. In this study, the different managerial practitioners involved in green-building projects were investigated in terms of their awareness levels regarding the quality performance measures, their perceived abilities to influence quality failure consequences, the degree to which the cost-of-quality (CoQ) of components can be evaluated, and the effect the sustainability traits have on the quality performance. Accordingly, a survey approach was adopted, and the results were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-squared (χ2) test, the relative importance index (RII), Mann–Whitney U-Test, and Student’s T-test. According to the results, the priorities of the different managerial types and their overall impressions of cost computability were different, which needs to be considered when CoQ evaluations are done based on practitioners’ views. In addition, the sustainability traits of green buildings impact achieving quality metrics with the consequences of design rework occurring in the construction stage may lead to denouncing sustainability traits. The results of this research study reveal the need to consider the differences between managerial types when evaluating CoQ for projects and the increased sensitivity for such evaluation in a green building context. The paper contributes to underscoring the important connection between quality performance and sustainability traits of a green building project and calls for researchers to formulate methods with more rigor to reach a set structure for quality cost accounting as an industry standard. Intricate evaluation methods will enable strategic decision making on quality performance budgets to be more substantiated.

show abstract

Section: Referencementioning

confidence: 99%

Managerial Practitioners’ Perspectives on Quality Performance of Green-Building Projects

Raouf

Al-Ghamdi

2020

Buildings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cepa consequence, a greater demand for product certifications [3]. In Europe and in the United States, the EPDs have been a well-known tool for several years, although not yet commonly used as a product selection tool.…”

Section: The Construction Products Sustainability Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sustainability of wall solutions: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of different solutions for external closures

Paleari

Miliani²

2018

ce papers

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In building's sustainability assessment, the role of the main construction materials is crucial. Even though the number of components is very high, the heaviest environmental impacts are due to a very short list, which comprises structures and envelope. For this reason, good environmental performances of walls materials are the base for achieving high sustainability levels for the building.The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a consolidated scientific method for the analysis of the environmental profile of products, processes, and services taking into account the energy consumptions and the environmental impacts. Therefore, it is more and more applied in the construction sector to analyze the sustainability of products, certified with the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). A research was conducted with the aim to compare the environmental performances of different solutions of building enclosures, highlighting the positive behavior of the autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks. The study was updated after 3 years, underlining the positive effects of some improvements in the production process of AAC on the environmental profile of the construction solutions. The environmental profile of the AAC blocks was measured through the LCA and the results were certified by an EPD that thus could be a useful tool for the sustainability communication from producers to architects and engineers.

show abstract

“…However, there are often additional incentives to develop environmentally friendly designs, such as third-party certification and improved energy efficiency. Protecting the environment and achieving complementary goals requires integrating environmental considerations early in the engineering design process (Burke, Parrish, & El Asmar, 2018;O'Reilly, et al, 2016). In fact, the National Guideline states that engineers "should establish… criteria for environmental stewardship at the earliest possible stage in projects" (Engineers .…”

Section: Considering the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One way to integrate environmental considerations into the engineering design process is through a life cycle assessment (LCA), which assesses the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product from cradle to grave (Burke, Parrish, & El Asmar, 2018). The scope of an LCA encompasses everything from material extraction to disposal, as illustrated in Figure 9.…”

Section: Considering the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, despite being an important tool to inform decision making, LCAs tend to be underutilized due to lack of demand from clients. In addition, there are few effective tools available to assist in the use of LCA to inform design; the tools developed in academia often do not directly address designers' needs and other factors specific to industry (Burke, Parrish, & El Asmar, 2018 EPDs will be used and the extent to which they will influence building design. In a survey of early adopters of EPDs, more than half perceived value in reviewing EPDs early.…”

Section: Considering the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

An Engineer’s Guide to Public Engagement in Renewable Energy Projects

Moy¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This thesis examines the public engagement process for renewable energy projects, focusing on the extent to which public engagement factors into the technical design of the projects. This interdisciplinary research features a two-part literature review, summarizing the key academic literature on public engagement and engineering design, respectively. The resulting insights are distilled into eight guidelines directed to engineers looking or needing to incorporate public engagement into their design processes for renewable energy projects. A case study of the renewable energy landscape in Eastern Ontario under the Green Energy Act tests the validity and applicability of the guidelines. The analysis is based on consultation reports from eight solar and wind projects, supplemented by eight interviews with renewable energy stakeholders in the same geographical area. This research has implications for renewable energy projects, for policymakers, and for the engineering profession, particularly in the context of current initiatives to improve public engagement processes. v

show abstract

Environmental Product Declarations: Use in the Architectural and Engineering Design Process to Support Sustainable Construction

Cited by 14 publications

References 18 publications

Managerial Practitioners’ Perspectives on Quality Performance of Green-Building Projects

Managerial Practitioners’ Perspectives on Quality Performance of Green-Building Projects

The sustainability of wall solutions: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of different solutions for external closures

An Engineer’s Guide to Public Engagement in Renewable Energy Projects

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About