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Qatar Green Building Conference 2016 ߝ The Action
- Conference date: 13-15 Nov 2016
- Location: Doha, Qatar
- Volume number: 2016
- Published: 09 November 2016
46 results
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Case study of water sustainability assessment for light industry-based projects in Qatar
Authors: Sailatha Theagaraj, Zaric Mariano Aclan and Radhia MchirguiThe conventional mixed-use projects usually provide a mixture of residential, commercial, cultural and institutional uses. Industrial zones are traditionally considered as an industrial district for sustainability assessments. However, this paper aims to provide a detailed case study on water sustainability levels achieved and the score achievement strategy deployed by light industry-based projects in Qatar as part of their Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) Certification. The sustainability assessments were based on the indigenous and the globally acclaimed GSAS developed by the Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD). The assortment observed in these projects with respect to their variations in size, diversity in infrastructure and scope of the project aids in putting forth the ways by which water sustainability can be efficiently achieved in the region, when similar projects are designed. It is highly important to understand how our current water sustainability benchmarks are actually interpreted into the projects through a practical study of their GSAS score achievement strategy. These case studies may even pave ways and inspire ideas towards a higher point of reference for water sustainability and improve our water conservation patterns.
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Introduction to the Living Building Challenge
More LessI am working with the International Living Future Institute as an Ambassador Presenter, and recently I have become a Collaborative Facilitator in the Ambassador Network, providing educational resources for the Living Building Challenge. The Living Building Challenge is the visionary path to a restorative future, the description of which is provided by the Institute on the organization's website: www.livingbuildingchallenge.org. The Institute describes the Living Building Challenge in the following way.
The Living Building Challenge defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today and acts to minimize the gap between current limits and ideal solutions. This certification program covers all buildings at all scales and is a unified tool for transformative design, allowing us to envision a future that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. Whether your project is a single building, a park, a college campus, or even a complete neighborhood community, the Living Building Challenge provides a framework for design, construction, and the symbiotic relationship between people and all aspects of the built environment. The Institute has provided a very informative and inspiring one-hour PowerPoint presentation for ambassador presenters to use it as an educational tool. As this is a volunteer effort, the program was free of cost. The attendees are also eligible for one AIA/GBCI Learning Unit.
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Performance evaluation of algae (Chlorella vulgaris) for the treatment of textile waste water and biofuel extraction for energy conservation
Authors: Sana J. Ansari, Hammad Ghaffar and Ehsan AliIn the past few decades, rapid industrialization has greatly contributed to the increase in environmental pollution and the decline in several energy resources. Greenhouse gas accumulation, emissions of particulate matter into the atmosphere and the release of untreated wastewater from different industries are serious threats to a sustainable environment. In particular, the wastewater from the textile industry is highly toxic and unable to be reused for industrial processes and irrigation. This toxic water ultimately makes its way to rivers and oceans and adversely affects the aquatic life. This paper focuses on the treatment of industrial wastewater obtained immediately after the dying process by algae growth, which leads to a significant decline in COD (chemical oxygen demand), total nitrogen/carbon, alkalinity and turbidity levels. Samples of wastewater from the textile industry were subjected to the treatment with fresh water algae (Chlorella vulgaris) and algal stains were found in heterotrophic mode. After about six days, algae were properly cultured on textile wastewater. It was found that 54% nitrogen, 24–28% alkalinity and 78–82% of COD were removed, allowing the treated wastewater to be used for other industrial processes. The cultured algae were further harvested (using centrifugation) for the extraction of biofuel that could be used as an alternative energy source for different industrial processes. This method of treating textile wastewater is not only cost-effective but also yields far better results for reducing water toxicity and providing an alternative fuel source.
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Qatar 2022 World Cup and its legacies: How to promote sustainable and livable open spaces in the city of Doha through mega sports events?
More LessWith the aim of diversifying its economy and develop itself as a tourist destination, in recent years, Qatar has hosted many international sports events and will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Doha, Qatar's capital city, is literally under construction, and is facing important changes in terms of transportation, infrastructure, and sports facilities. However, past experiences have shown that the outcomes of staging major sports events are mostly harmful, and their planned legacies last only for a short time. This trend becomes even stronger when considering how sports facilities and their surroundings are utilized after the event is over. Usually, sports venues become white elephants, and their neighborhoods islands of placelessness, underutilized and abandoned pieces of the city. What will be left after the World Cup? How to leverage this event as a moment of experimentation and sustainable growth of its capital city, Doha? In this context, the aim of this research is to identify strategies to plan and maximize the post-event usage of event sites and venues, and make their neighborhoods more livable and sustainable. The research has a specific focus on the city of Doha, which hosted the 2006 Asian Games and will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It starts with a critical review of relevant precedents from the Western and the Eastern world, and then continues with an in-depth analysis of three selected case studies, namely the cities of London, Sochi, and Rio de Janeiro that recently hosted major sports events. Finally, the research focuses on the context of Doha, investigating its public spaces and planning system, and analyzing the government's legacy plans for the 2022 World Cup. The expected results include a set of guidelines and recommendations to help Doha transform its sports venues and event sites into lasting, sustainable, and livable public open spaces, and, more generally, to define strategies for achieving successful legacies from the host of mega sports events. The results of this research can also be applied to other Gulf cities that share many similarities in terms of their urban form and planning systems, and that face for the first time the challenges and opportunities offered by the host of mega events.
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Towards stupid cities revisiting the authenticity of smart cities conceptual premises
More LessObserving the status of a good number of cities around the world would reveal a new kind of urban competition labeled “smart cities”. The concept of smart city emerged more than a decade ago. It first appeared in the literature of architecture and planning around 1999–2000. The concept has emerged due to the collective efforts of digital designers, economists, and planners, for the purpose of obtaining physical changes based on new technologies used in cities. The most accepted definition of smart city states that it is the ability to exploit digital, information, and communication technologies to improve the quality and performance of the physical urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption, to be more effective, and to engage with its citizens. The smart city in its current vision makes communication and human interaction inessential or even trivial. This is a real crisis, as some analysts, writers, and specialists have pointed out, that has narrowed the concept of smart cities to the use of information technology, smart phones or smart cards, or smart homes, or anything labeled as smart. Obviously, there is no discussion on how using all these smart devices can contribute to the improvement of urban life and the sustainable future of cities. Therefore, the following questions arise: is the hypothesis that information technology can improve the performance of cities legitimate? Can these technologies actually make the city smarter, and do they make human life better? More importantly, we need a thorough examination of the concept of smart cities to assess their actual impact on quality of life, especially human social divide. Contemporary Middle Eastern and Gulf cities aspire for the new identity of smart cities without substantial assessment that would explore not only their technological dimension but also their impact on the holistic aspects of life. The paper argues for a different perception of the concept of smart city. It might therefore be wrong to describe the city as smart while it is creating a situation of separation, fragmentation, and individualism among communities. Alternatively, we might be more proud of a less smart city that allows its community to interact and integrate. The paper conducts a number of comparative analyses and provides cases from the regional and international context to argue for a more holistic understanding of the swiftly emerging concept of “smart city”.
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CARES Sustainable Constructional Steel Certification scheme
Authors: Lee Brankley and Dave KnightThe expectations of stakeholders across the construction industry's value chain have evolved significantly in light of a greater understanding of sustainability impacts, scientific trends and new legislation. There is a demand for evidence proving that a wide range of issues are being managed in a systematic way leading to improvements in performance. Designers and specifiers are demanding transparent, reliable data and comparable sustainability information about competing construction materials. Standard setting organisations and building rating systems are advancing in their requirements. Third-party certification bodies have responded with improved certification that enables the provision of data collection, auditing and reporting. The CARES Sustainable Constructional Steel (SCS) scheme is applied to reinforcing carbon and stainless steel, structural steel and hot rolled flat steel. Developed with the inputs from a wide range of stakeholders, the accredited scheme is based on foundations of technical specifications, traceability, product quality and the sustainability principles of inclusivity, integrity, stewardship and transparency.
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An Islamic view towards sustainability: The theory and practice of GCC countries
More LessDespite the fact that many public policy issues related to sustainability are usually framed in the form of government initiatives and programs, probably an equally, if not more, important topic, is how to change people's behavior and attitudes. Given the ample challenges that all GCC countries face in terms of water scarcity and finiteness of fossil fuels in the decades (or years) to come, it might be wise that these countries embark on serious efforts in order to ensure changes in people's behavior. Despite the region achieving some of the highest GDP per capita globally, it also ranks the highest in terms of water consumption, electrical consumption, and CO2 emissions per person. In this regard, this research aims at taking a fresh look at how these countries can aim to alter people's behavior through invoking Islamic values and traditions in their pursuit of achieving sustainable development. By doing so, the research hopes to highlight the stark contrast between Islamic values usually put forth by leaders in these countries, while at the same time showing great discrepancies in terms of actual consumption of various resources as reflected in official figures and statistics.
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Evaluation of adaptive facades: The case study of Al Bahr Towers in the UAE
By Shady AttiaThe assessment of adaptive facades presents a barrier in light of the fact that there are no standard assessment techniques to systematically achieve this goal. Most of the available facade performance evaluation systems or frameworks have limited applicability for such advanced building facades. The complexity involved in the evaluation of adaptive or dynamic facades is related to the performance evaluation of facade elements, systems and overall building performance associated with occupant behavior and occupant satisfaction. In this context, we present a case study of an adaptive sunscreen facade to evaluate its performance and occupant behavior. The evaluation focuses mainly on the pre- and post-construction phases of adaptive facades: the design assist phase (including the durability test, visual mockup, onsite mashrabiya mounting and weather stripping), the commissioning phase (field verification and performance testing) and the monitoring phase. The selected project is a 150-meter-high twin tower that stands with a honeycomb-inspired structure and an automated dynamic solar screen that responds to the sun's movement. These solar screens respond dynamically and automatically to the angle of the sun that improves the control over energy consumption, solar radiation and glare with the ability to allow natural light into the building. This paper is part of the research activities of working group 3 of the European COST Action 1403 on “Adaptive Facades”. Different methods were used for evaluation, which include: interviews with the architect, facade engineer, technical control specialist and occupants; reviews of standards and codes; and reviews of energy models and a systematic design process mapping. A documentation of the case study describing the post-construction occupant comfort and facade operation was prepared. The audience of this paper is mainly project managers, architects, building facade engineers as well as facility managers concerned with the process of design, construction and operation of adaptive sunscreen facades. The outcome of this study identifies quantifiable performance indicators and effective strategies for the design and performance evaluation of optimal adaptive facades.
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BIM4Analysis, integrated design, and closing the performance gap
More LessBim4Analysis is a campaign to integrate analytics within the BIM process, enabling those involved in the creation of a building, campus, or entire city models to take advantage of valuable information during design, commissioning and operation. The strategy is concerned with implementing BIM as a mechanism to deliver value, cost and carbon improvement on all projects. The holy grail is a single workflow. From an engineering perspective, this means engineers inputting information into a 3D model format to inform coordination. When the coordinated layout changes, the update becomes seamless and bi-directional. There is currently no robust solution on the market to facilitate this. Engineers use a mix of formats including spreadsheets – uncontrolled, inconsistent; standalone analysis and some integrated analysis. We consider the VE as a single platform for creation and capture of performance data that is usable and useful during design, commissioning and the operational life of the building. Compliance (LEED, Estidama, etc.) is a necessity on most projects. Our solution is to develop a single ‘analysis’ model from the BIM model at the appropriate stages of the project and to run the calculations from that one ‘analysis’ model, thus ensuring that the designers are using the most up-to-date information. When the design changes, the BIM model is again imported, with the relevant data and the various calculations being run again and the results sent back to the BIM models (interoperability). When the project is set up for collaboration and the process is understood, it becomes easier. Building performance analysis is a vital component in designing truly sustainable buildings and cities. By using technology to calculate the impact of different design strategies, architects and engineers can make more informed decisions on elements that play an important role in reducing the energy consumption of a building. Performance analysis software allows designers to virtually test the feasibility of different energy saving strategies and new low-carbon technologies that facilitate very efficient high-performance designs. Unfortunately, building performance analysis is too often only undertaken in the later stages of design compliance rather than incorporated into the process right from the earliest stages. By working together and utilizing building performance analysis software from day 1, architects and engineers can make the biggest impact in terms of designing a high-performing, sustainable building. There are several ways to split the division of labour, from integrating its consideration into architect and engineers job functions or introducing an independent function to the design team. Understanding our analysis at the design stage is only one half of the challenge of creating high–performing, sustainable buildings, the other is understanding how buildings are operating and learning from them. It's all well and good believing that a building is sustainable because it appears to do so at design, but how sustainable is it in reality? How do we know if we aren't checking? We need to correlate building performance against the design to quantify any performance gaps in the same level of detail which we analyse buildings in simulation software.
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Urban morphology and microclimate response – Overview and case study
More LessThe aim of this study is to investigate the urban morphological factors that influence urban microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort in hot semi-arid climate. It explores the main features that influence the urban climate on microclimate scale, in addition to the environmental parameters that affect the thermal comfort and its relevant indices (PMV, PPD, PET). The study presents the assessment of outdoor thermal comfort of urban street canyons for selected locations in traditional and modern neighborhoods representing old and new fabrics of the city of Aleppo (Syria). The assessment of outdoor thermal comfort considered field measurements for selected days in the summer period, along with data derived from microclimate simulations for the same locations using ENVI-met numerical models. The outcome of the study shows that different types of urban morphology have different effects on their thermal conditions as the geometry of the canyons investigated has a strong impact on their thermal behavior, and a significant correlation was observed between the aspect ratio and the sky view factor, on the one hand, and outdoor thermal values, on the other.
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Managing the business of sustainable buildings
By Radwa AminCost and profit are considered the biggest barriers towards sustainable building business. The aim of this article is to shift this perspective by interpreting the building composition of the sustainable business and introducing the differences between the different accounting frameworks associated with both the conventional and sustainable building businesses. To achieve this target, this article compares between the “bottom line” analysis adopted in the conventional building business against the “triple bottom line” utilized in the sustainable building business. The “bottom line” is more associated with how much profit any business generates, whereas the “triple bottom line” accounts for people, planet, and profit. In this context, the sustainable business has a wider vision towards assets and is more accommodative to the future needs of a business. In light of this, it is evident that adequately managing the sustainable building business will positively enhance the overall cost that will lead not only to a definite increase in profit and building assets, with no impact or minor impact on the first cost, but also to a favorable decrease in the running costs. The focal point of this article is to establish that cost and profit are legendary barriers, and contrary to what is currently perceived, there will be a massive drive towards promoting sustainable building business.
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Swiss International School Dubai: Design and simulation of a Minergie building in Dubai
More LessMinergie is a Swiss quality label for buildings developed to ensure comfort, low energy consumption, and healthy indoor environment. It was introduced in 1995, and, today, about 30% of new buildings are Minergie compliant. The campus of the Swiss International Scientific School of Dubai (SISD) is designed to be Minergie compliant. The campus includes a primary school building, an administrative building, a middle high school (MHS)–library–auditorium building, a sport center, and a boarding house. The primary and the administrative building are built. The sport center is under construction while the MHS building is under development.
Except the sport center, the campus is designed to be Minergie compliant. SORANE SA, along with the design team, conducted the preliminary design of primary school and administrative building to be Minergie compliant. We are currently assisting the design team of the MHS, the library and the auditorium building to achieve Minergie certification.
The design is based on achieving comfort and low energy demand through efficient sun protection, highly insulated and tight envelope, heat and moisture recovery on the ventilation system, as well as optimized daylighting of the occupied space.
The primary school building and the administrative building were built and are the first buildings to be certified as Minergie in the Middle East. The simulation of the primary school building showed that the building following the Minergie standards consumed 80% less than a conventional building in Dubai. Moreover, the building ensured a healthy indoor environment, with stable thermal, visual comfort, and low draught conditions due to the low speed ventilation. More importantly, designing the school following the Minergie requirements did not increase the systems' complexity, but rather resulted in low energy demand that reduced the size of the installations.
In this paper, we describe the design procedure of the buildings from the energy perspective and the challenges that we faced to achieve Minergie certification. Advanced simulations were performed to design the envelope and HVAC systems in order to minimize energy consumption. Daylight calculations and dynamic thermal simulations are also discussed in detail. First, the Minergie label is described briefly, followed by the description of its prerequisites and energy targets. Then, the building envelope design procedure is presented. Finally, the HVAC system design is detailed, and the simulation results of the building consumption are presented.
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Indoor environmental quality case study
By Lamya SalemThe office environment has a tremendous impact on employees’ health, productivity and well-being. Considering the fact that employees stay in their offices for a prolonged time, which can extend to more than ten hours in many cases, the office indoor environmental quality (IEQ) can either cause serious health issues or restore the employee's health. Similar to green building rating systems, WELL® Standards have been established to focus solely on the indoor environmental quality. A case study was conducted for a selected office space to assess the office IEQ against WELL® Standards and evaluate the office performance under different WELL® Concepts. For this purpose, a survey was first conducted for the employees in the space under study. This was followed by obtaining actual measurements for the current indoor environment, investigating possible improvements and applying the appropriate improvements. After applying those improvements, the space was reassessed against WELL® Concepts and another survey was conducted to finalize a case study for indoor environmental quality.
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Environmental attitudes and behaviors in sustainability about water use in homes
Authors: Islam M. Obeidat, Saif Obeidat and Manar ObeidatIntroduction: The use of water is a global environmental concern. Understanding factors affecting peoples' behavior is necessary to devise effective water management policies. Water reuse is positively influenced by environmental values, convenience, adequate storage space, simplicity of reuse, feelings of satisfaction when reusing materials, and involvement in society.
Purpose: This paper proposed and tested a conceptual framework to identify the environmental (e.g., attitude toward the environment), situational (e.g., individual knowledge and experience), and psychological (e.g., personality characteristics, perceptions) factors that affect peoples' water management intentions and behaviors in homes.
Problem: Global environmental problems (e.g., water concern) can be effectively addressed by individual lifestyle changes. Unlike reduction and reuse, recycling is not influenced by environmental values; instead, it is viewed as an accepted norm. However, access to recycling facilities or curbside recycling improves participation.
Finding: A strong relationship between intention and behavior was found for all the three water management practices (i.e., reduction, reuse, and recycling). Water reduction was positively influenced by environmental values, increased knowledge of environmental policies, the belief that water is a threat to personal well-being, and feelings of personal responsibility. Older age groups were more likely to reduce water than younger age groups, possibly because they maintained lifestyles developed during their experiences and culture. Ease of recycling (e.g., presence of curbside recycling) was associated with diminished intentions to employ water use reduction and reuse strategies, possibly because individuals who recycled felt they had fulfilled their water management responsibilities. Designers should:
– enact curbside recycling methods and techniques in homes to decrease water use;
– recognize how factors beyond awareness and knowledge (e.g., water values) affect water management practices;
– understand that different household water management practices (i.e., reduction, reuse, and recycling) are influenced by different factors (e.g., environmental attitudes).
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Are we sustainable? Promoting a culture of sustainability in planned communities with a sustainability focus
Authors: Nermin Dessouky, Yara Moustafa, Richard Tutwiler, Chelsea Estevez and Alan MeierNew communities built with the aim of achieving sustainability are becoming increasingly common in Europe, North America, and Japan. These communities have created infrastructures designed for sustainability, for example, using eco-friendly building materials, energy-efficient design, renewable energy, integrated transportation solutions, and solid waste and wastewater management. Regardless of their location, these communities have found that they must also take into account how social behavior contributes to a sustainable lifestyle. Recently, the sustainability phenomenon has taken hold in the Middle East and North Africa. Purpose-built sustainable communities are now being designed, constructed, and operated in several countries, including The Sustainable City in Dubai, Msheireb in Doha, El Gouna in Egypt, and Masdar in Abu Dhabi. Other communities with less comprehensive, albeit significant, sustainability commitments, are also emerging. This paper studies global sustainable community models and their different approaches towards engendering sustainable behavior among residents. Most of these communities have operated for several years; therefore, they can provide both lessons and inspiration for the rising communities in the Middle East. This paper compiles best practices for promoting a culture of sustainability from the research on global communities, plus early findings from investigations of emerging communities in the Middle East. For example, residents must be actively engaged to connect with and work towards achieving a sustainable community; mere awareness is rarely enough to incite a significant behavioral change. This paper presents a compilation of recommendations for how communities in the Middle East and North Africa can operationalize the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability. A sound technical infrastructure is important but environmental, economic, and social sustainability cannot be realized without changing the lifestyle and behavior of the community.
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Lean practice. The human mind sustainability!
More LessThis paper presents the value of people and sustainable minds in Lean transformation for achieving green business development. Human resources management is one of the main reasons for the success or failure of organizations. Therefore, adding value to their work processes and eliminating waste will reflect on the profit of the whole firm, and will accordingly reflect on the development and sustainability of the whole construction industry. The role of human resources in implementing a new process is not only at work but in people's lives as well by changing their mindsets, attitudes, and behaviors sustaining the continuous improvement. This research is divided into two parts: theoretical and practical. The theoretical part will explain Lean concept definition, values and wastes, benefits, challenges faced, and steps for successful implementation. It will also provide a clear vision on how to choose Lean champions and Lean coordinators at any organization. The practical part will present a case study for a successful Lean transformation in a design/construction firm, showing the effect of implementing Lean on people's minds, behavior, and work attitudes and how it affects projects, as well showing the roles and responsibilities of different human resources in that Lean transformation and a clear method and steps for Lean implementation in construction organizations based on a company's experience and observations reducing wastes and adding value to every single work process within the organization achieving the three-part goal of better, cheaper, and faster projects.
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Driving measurable change for sustainable buildings and cities
More LessPerformance analysis is, and will increasingly become more so, a vital component in designing truly sustainable buildings, eco-cities and communities; it provides a measurable understanding of the impact of different strategies on energy consumption and other environmental metrics. Analysis software allows designers to ‘virtually’ test the feasibility of different energy saving strategies and new technologies and facilitate low-energy/low-carbon designs. It also allows quantification of savings against targets, plus measurement and verification for operational and control optimisation. It takes into consideration climate, use, design and systems operation. The requirement to quantify, justify and optimise design decisions in an informed and sustainable way is becoming increasingly important. Performance analysis exposes and cuts through greenwash to get to the heart of creating high-performance buildings that are also economically viable. With the rise in the use of green rating systems such as GSAS, LEED and Estidama and the need to meet government energy/carbon reduction targets, there has been a major shift towards Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) using performance analysis tools. This is widely considered as the route towards delivering energy efficiency in today's buildings. For almost two decades, IES have been pushing the ethos of integrated design and incorporation of performance analysis right from the earliest new-build and retrofit stages as the route to achieving truly sustainable, low-energy structures. Consequently, we find ourselves today still working at the leading edge of building science, investigating how analysis plays a vital role in cutting through greenwash to deliver measurable sustainability, be it designing or analysing a product range, a regulatory system, a building or entire communities/eco-cities. Cities may be the major polluters, but they are substantially more efficient than having the same population dispersed over that wide area. Energy, water and other services can be provided more efficiently and their use can be minimised. Our sustainable future is in eco-cities that use technology in a smart way, incorporating real-time dynamic control to optimise the use of energy, water and other resources. Performance analysis and predictive interrogation of data will play a key role in this. An emerging vision is that each building would be designed or refurbished using state-of-the-art 3D simulation to quantify, optimize and verify its performance. The building simulation model would then be used to commission and subsequently control the building. However, in order for it to be a true eco-city, it would not be enough for each building to be independently efficient. There would need to be a master system to optimize city-wide energy and water consumption in coordination with the relevant utilities. This session will emphasise the importance of the role that integrated performance analytics has in creating truly sustainable buildings by taking the audience through some real-life case studies. It will also explore the role that performance analytics can play in creating sustainable cities for the future.
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An assessment framework supporting decision-making regarding the environmental performance of building elements and buildings
Authors: Carolin Spirinckx, Wai Chung Lam, Wim Debacker, Karen Allacker and Roos ServaesBackground: At the European level, there are two main frameworks for determining the environmental impacts of building solutions, i.e. EN 15804:2012+A1:2013 and EN 15978:2011 (sustainability of construction works, environmental product declarations, core rules for the product category of construction products and calculation method), and the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) developed by the European Commission (EC DG Environment). Each of these frameworks has its own goal and corresponding methodological choices. Although the EN standards have their main focus on the built environment, they only consider seven environmental impact categories while several scientific studies have indicated the need for a broader environmental perspective, especially when assessing the environmental performance of buildings. In 2013, the European Commission published the PEF methodology. The aim of proposing the EU-wide PEF methodology is to measure the environmental performance of products and to encourage Member States and the private sector to take them up. The PEF methodology considers 14 environmental impact categories that are not only specifically developed for the construction sector.
Assessment framework for the environmental performance of building elements and buildings:
VITO and KU Leuven have developed a framework for specific use in the Belgian building context with the aim to get insights into the environmental performance of different kinds of building element variants and buildings as a whole. That framework deviates from the EN standards and includes a broader list of environmental impact categories (PEF). Up until now, it has helped to gain insights into the environmental performance of building materials (to be) used in Belgian building (element) solutions. After proving its added value through different policy and design-oriented research projects, the assessment framework was updated in 2015 to comply with the EN standards and latest evolutions on PEF. The main difference between this assessment framework and the European framework lies in the calculation of aggregated scores through environmental external costing. By doing so, the environmental performance of building elements and buildings can be expressed by one figure, which makes decision-making processes more straightforward. A comparative study proves that the assessment framework is a valuable alternative for the EN standards and in agreement with the PEF framework. The development of user-friendly designer and policy instruments to assess Belgian buildings is the next major development step to be taken.
Presentation at the QGBC Conference 2016:
The presentation at the QGBC Conference 2016 conference will focus on the methodology development. In addition, the presentation will illustrate the application of the methodology by presenting some results of the main important building element variants. By November 2016 when the QGBC Conference 2016 will take place, it is expected that the first results of the development of the designer tool for architects and building contractors and the policy supporting tool for the Belgian government will be ready for presentation.
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Implementation of rooftop solar PV in Qatar through the roof rental business model
More LessQatar is an emerging renewable energy market in the MENA region and has made progress in recent years. The natural gas-rich state has abundant solar energy resources and a national vision to generate 2% of its electricity from solar energy by 2020. A number of green businesses in Qatar are operating at different segments of the solar value chain. However, deployment of residential and commercial solar PV in Qatar still remains very low. One reason for this is the lack of incentives for the public and businesses to adopt solar energy technologies because of the high capital cost and high per kWh price as compared to the utility power. This study proposes the use of the roof rental business model by green businesses in Qatar as a method for increasing public support for solar in Qatar and generating income for green businesses. The study reviews the current status of solar energy deployment in Qatar and the major business players in the solar value chain. The roof rental business model is discussed in detail and recommendations are given on how to implement it. The study also addresses the feed-in-tariff incentive as an essential pillar in the roof rental business model. Finally, this study concludes that the roof rental business model can create massive public support for solar energy in Qatar provided that the feed-in-tariff policy is implemented.
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Sustainability aspects of constructions based on clay roof tiles and bricks
More LessThe presentation at the QGBC Conference 2016 will focus on the importance that the Belgian clay roof tile and brick sector attaches to sustainability aspects that are related to their business and products, and focuses on a recently performed LCA (life cycle assessment) and EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) project. This project is part of a broader platform, where the three pillars of sustainability finally meet each other. During the presentation at the QGBC Conference 2016, first, I will present the incentives of the sector to apply the concept of life-cycle thinking to modern business practices, with the aim to manage the total life cycle of their products and services towards a more sustainable construction and housing. Then, I will focus on the results of the LCA in which four clay products are analysed from the cradle to the grave: clay roof tiles, traditional clay blocks, newly developed clay blocks and facing bricks. The results have been summarised in EPDs. Additional comparative studies have also been carried out to benchmark the clay products versus main competing materials, at the building element level, i.e. roofs and walls. Special emphasis will be given during the presentation to the importance of LCA for the clay sector, the sector approach, the procedures for data collection, the importance of stakeholder involvement, the results of the LCAs and the comparative assessment.
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Health-oriented sustainable buildings in the context of Qatar
By Doyoon KimWith growing popularity of green building rating systems, LEED and GSAS projects are becoming a building industry standard in Qatar. Furthermore, more projects targeting higher rating in green building certification has become a trend. A large number of green buildings have been focused on in terms of energy and water efficiency, where a high level of certification can be achieved and their performance can be easily translated and expressed into numeric terms. Media tends to highlight efficiencies in green buildings that are broadcasted as high-performance buildings. Although non-quantifiable benefits of green buildings such as enhanced occupant's productivity, health and comfort are equally important, emphasis on human factor has drawn relatively less attention to the green building design process. Considering the significance of cost incurred for building occupants in facility operation, worker's wages and expenses are much higher than the utility cost or any other operation costs. Especially, low energy and water tariffs in Qatar actually lower financial feasibility of high energy and water performance green buildings than those in other countries. In addition, due to hot weather conditions in Qatar, people spend more hours indoor than outdoor compared with other climate zone countries. In this regard, building occupant's health and comfort should be more importantly treated in the context of green building in Qatar. According to a study on Qatari public health, a large percentage of students in Qatar experience allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema) and communicable diseases (influenza and hepatitis). Such diseases result in absenteeism and poor academic performance. Knowing that Doha was ranked the 12th worst ambient air quality in fine particles by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014, prevalence of such diseases indicates that indoor environment is not sufficiently protected from polluted outdoor conditions. The diseases eventually burden the national healthcare cost to attend patients and potentially deteriorate Qatari businesses as well as education performance resulted from high absenteeism. This paper aims to first understand the level of the occupant's satisfaction in indoor air quality and thermal comfort based on a survey questionnaire for typical operating buildings in Qatar, and strives to find the correlation between indoor environment quality in Qatari buildings and locally prevalent allergic and communicable diseases. The study finally aims to determine the root causes of health-related indoor environmental quality issues and to suggest improvements in design, construction and operation of a green building implementation.
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Fire and life safety approach in green buildings
More LessThis paper presents sustainable buildings from the perspective of fire and life safety.
Sustainable buildings are high-performance buildings from an environmental perspective, which care for the occupant's welfare, comfort and health distinctly whose safety is equally important.
Obviously, a building on fire threats the safety of the occupants and firefighters, and has a negative impact on the environment through the discharge of gaseous and particulate products of combustion into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the groundwater runoff from the water used to extinguish the fire contains toxic compounds and debris that may pollute the surrounding water bodies.
Many buildings can be recycled at the end of their life cycle; however, if a building's life cycle ends in a fire, it will not be fit for reuse and may have to go to landfill. There is also an additional economic impact resulting from the direct loss of the building and its contents. Further indirect loss is caused by business interruption, job losses and disruption of services to the community. Accordingly, fire prevention can be considered “green” due to the natural resources saved by preventing a fire.
So the question is “how sustainable is a building if it is not fire safe”?
Some sustainability and energy efficiency practices can increase fire risk. For example, green roofs and photovoltaic panels can increase building energy efficiency but also increase the fire risk by providing more fuel unless there is a design approach to mitigate these effects.
A building that is sustainable in the face of fire is one that minimizes not only the environmental impacts of fire, but also the economic and social impacts of fire.
An integration design approach employed at an early stage of the design process increases the communication among the involved parties, leading to fewer conflicts between green building practices and fire safety, where the objectives of the fire safety design should be clearly defined. While the protection of life is the main objective of fire safety legislation, the financial impact of fire on a business as a result of direct property damage or lost production might also be important considerations. By pointing out the possible conflicts before construction has even began, there is time to make the necessary changes to the plans and avoid waste of time and money during the actual construction of the building.
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Occupant's thermal comfort in Qatari offices – Need for the new adaptive standard
Authors: Madhavi Indraganti and Djamel BoussaaQatar's per capita energy consumption is one of the highest in the world, consuming 30.184 TWh as of 2012. Buildings contribute significantly (80%) to this, with air-conditioning taking a lion's share. Qatar does not have custom-made adaptive thermal comfort standards (ACS). In their absence, designers tend to follow Western standards that are meant for colder climates verbatim. This leads to the disregard of the effect of local climate, clothing and cultural needs. Availability of cheap energy encourages such practice. Following the ACS is vital for energy savings in buildings. In this paper, we aim to develop the ACS for Qatar. It necessitates long-term field studies in real buildings. This paper presents the results of long-term thermal comfort field surveys in eight Qatari offices. The occupant's thermal perceptions along with the environmental measurements were recorded in these surveys. This was done during the winter in Doha. A total of 40 subjects expressed comfort over a wide range of temperatures in offices. They returned 1362 sets of data, of which 27% were from women. Fanger's PMV overestimated the actual sensation. These findings have far-reaching energy implications towards environmental sustainability as specified in Qatar Vision 2030.
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Is there a cost premium for green buildings in Qatar?
Authors: David McKenna and Matt KitsonThis paper aims to open a discussion about the cost premium for green buildings in Qatar. It looks back at what Qatar has achieved over the last decade to explore the issue of green building cost premiums: why do they exist, what can we do about them, and why should we accept them? In this paper, the term ‘green buildings’ is used to specifically refer to buildings pursuing certification under the USGBC's ‘LEED ’ or the GORD's ‘GSAS’ rating system, which are the most commonly used certification types in Qatar. However, lower oil prices have led to tighter spending and a greater focus on value engineering and cost savings. The environmental benefits of green buildings have been well documented; however, this paper aims to shift the discussion towards the economic aspects of green buildings. This paper analyses the costs and benefits of the main GB rating systems used in Qatar, such as GSAS and LEED. By identifying the costs of building green, this paper aims to inform developers how to minimise the cost premium while getting more benefits. It also identifies some of the underlying causes of key problems that can occur in GB projects, where GB cost premiums can increase beyond what is typical for the certification level achieved. These problems can often lead to symptoms beyond cost over-runs and can manifest themselves as time delays, quality and other issues. Some of the key strategies are also identified to reduce GB costs and increase the economic benefits from achieving GB certification. The paper concludes with some recommendations for how GB rating systems can be adopted by authorities on a wider scale to effect a greater scale of change. It looks at some key issues with the GSAS rating schemes that have an impact on GB costs, and argues for a common energy simulation approach across all regional GB rating systems in the GCC. It discusses how the integrity of a GB rating system is imperative to building confidence in the value of each certification level, which should result in ‘Green Premiums’ being reflected in the property market. The paper concludes with the argument that with the support from Qatar Green Building Council and GORD, Qatar's planning authorities need to take the lead in pushing Qatar to develop more sustainable buildings.
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Urban form and impacts on urban heat for a corridor environment in Doha, Qatar
Authors: Cynthia Skelhorn, Salim Ferwati, Ayla Shawish and Vivek ShandasDoha, Qatar is a coastal city on the Arabian Gulf. Like all cities, temperatures can vary quite widely throughout the city due to various factors. In Doha, for instance, records of monitoring data from ten weather stations during 2015 show that, on average, the temperature varied by 7 degrees Celsius across the city.
This paper will analyze temperature, traffic and built morphology data for 2016 along a major roadway in Doha. The research utilizes data from 3 main sources: seven days of vehicle traverses gathered in different seasons and for three times of day (morning, midday, and evening) in 2016 on the Al Salwa Rd corridor, reaching from the coast to approximately 10 km inland; daily traffic count data for intersections along the corridor; and data on building footprint and height within 500 m of the corridor.
The paper will consider the influence of several factors on the temperature and air quality variation along this corridor, including: land cover, proximity to parks and vegetated areas, albedo, distance from the sea and built morphology.
Temperature data will be analyzed in terms of Urban Heat Island Index (UHII), and time exceeding 37 degrees Celsius, the temperature above which conditions are considered as sweltering for human comfort. Temperature distribution maps will then be analyzed in relation to the factors noted previously.
Finally, statistical analyses will be performed to test the correlation between the urban heat, built morphology, and traffic, using GIS to visualize the urban heat and built morphology.
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Feasibility of converting existing residential buildings to net zero-energy buildings in Egypt
More LessGreen architecture, sustainable buildings, environmental friendly, and other terms have recently become popular in the construction field among professionals and non-professionals. Although they are mostly needed and highly feasible, the application of these ideas is not yet at the same level of popularity in Egypt. Researchers are trying to fill this gap by providing different types of recommendations, methodologies, and guidelines to be followed. The aim of this study is to propose a method for solving the energy problem in the building sector in Egypt. Since it is concerned with the existing building stock, the proposed method will address retrofitting strategies, not new design strategies. The study suggests the nZEB (net zero-energy buildings) method as a possible solution for the problem and provides a guideline to be used among the rest of the existing building types. The study uses energy simulation to validate its initial assumptions and test the feasibility of the proposed guideline. The final outcome of the study is a method that combines both retrofitting and renewable energy strategies that will suit the Egyptian context, and has the potential to convert existing buildings to nZEB buildings. The study starts with the analysis of the current situation of both the existing buildings and the energy sector in Egypt. First, it reviews the classification of the existing building types in the Egyptian context, analyzing the energy consumption patterns and the inefficiencies leading to these patterns. Then, it defines the nZEB concept to familiarize the reader with its different aspects. The empirical part of the study uses several cases for a number of prototypes of residential building types in Egypt. Finally, the proposed guideline is applied to an actual existing building and its feasibility is tested by simulation. The study concludes by suggesting a potential energy saving by applying nZEB strategies to existing residential buildings in Egypt. Future research on different building types is required to validate the nZEB method across different building types.
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How smart greenery can transform our cities
By Sherif HosnyIntroduction: Urbanization is taking place at unprecedented rates with 50% of the world's population living in cities. The global population is expected to grow further to reach 10 billion before it starts to stabilize or decline. Hence, the importance of improving our cities to meet our urge in living in them has become more important than ever before. The term ‘efficiency’ will be one of the major keywords that will shape our thoughts, our future research and innovations.
Efficiency pockets will be analyzed and searched for in every field and in all our needs. The human need for greenery is one of the most basic and primary needs. The health benefits of greenery are not a mere luxury, but the human's proximity to nature has instant effects on his health and moral. So the question is how can we have greenery in cities in the most efficient way possible? Green skins: The concept of green skins has stormed the world in the last decade and is without a doubt a growing trend. But what is a green skin?
As the name suggests, it is greenery applied to the outer surface of an object. This object could be existing or new, functional or abandoned, stationary or in motion. To clarify further, let us imagine the following:
– An abandoned railway turned into a park. New York's sky garden is a living example of such a case;
– The rooftops of city busses could be perfect examples of oxygen-creating green skins;
– Building facades could be entirely covered in greenery. Milan's vertical forest is a prime example of the proximity of this idea coming to reality. Integrated cities: An integrated city would be a further step in creating our own needs not only for landscaping but also for food production.
Growing food in the city instead of on an agricultural land is at its infancy stages. Numerous movements around the world are exploring these possibilities. The benefits of urban agriculture are enormous, ranging from savings in transportation, eating fresher produce, using greenery as a thermal insulator and bringing greenery to our everyday life.
Water- and energy-efficient technologies are being explored and used in this type of agriculture as production per square meter will be a decisive factor. Community roles: The progressive approach in designing green spaces for cities is no longer a task assigned to a single centralized authority or government. The connectedness of communities with city planners should grant a collaborative atmosphere for architects, designers, landscape companies and entrepreneurs to share their ideas and develop them together.
Real estate developers and master planners will either be leading the way with sustainable landscape solutions or fall behind and eventually follow consumers’ expectations. Conclusion: Greenery plays a major role in our urban life and will have to evolve to match the current rate of urbanization.
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EcoBIM for micro-sustainability
More LessSustainability is one of the most important issues today. It could be achieved when all its factors could be managed and achieved effectively with full knowledge, strategic focus, and a balance of competing interests.
Micro-sustainability focuses on small environmental actions that collectively result in a large environmental impact. It encourages sustainable changes through “change agents”, i.e. individuals who are instrumental in bringing a change; therefore, they foster positive environmental action inside their sphere of influence. Examples of micro-sustainability include recycling, turning off unused lights, programming thermostats for efficient use of energy, reducing water usage, reduce waste and consumption.
Attentive design and planning is very crucial in any production process. Especially in the construction industry, a lot of time and effort is spent on measuring and analysing how any new construction will interact with materials and environmental conditions and a lot of information management is required for the whole process. In the last few years, the construction industry has gone digital, and technology has created a new process tool.
Building information modelling and management has become mandatory to achieve a sustainable construction process and product. New concepts such as EcoBIM have been recently introduced and applied in the construction market. EcoBIM software allows architects and engineers to digitally simulate different construction elements and understand how specific changes in design or construction models will have an impact on other variables. EcoBIM has especially improved the sustainable planning for building life cycle (cradle to grave).
EcoBIM helps to achieve micro-sustainability through BIM tools and management process, which in turn help in accurate design and construction analysis for efficient design and construction for efficient use of energy, reducing water usage, waste and consumption, etc.
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Transient analysis and simulation of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) energy system integration into the distribution grid
Authors: Shady Khalil and Haitham Abu-RubPhotovoltaic (PV) power generation is the fastest growing segment of distributed generation technologies. In addition, the need for reliable, stable and quality power is on the rise. Large-scale PV power connected to the grid contributes to the safe operation of the grid to bring new challenges in GCC. This study focuses on future large-scale PV energy system integration into the GCC power grid to address its energy security and environmental challenges. A new simulation model is developed to analyze and investigate the impact of integrating large-scale solar PV facilities into the distribution grid, and to carry out transient stability analysis.
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Multi-layer UPVC piping system
By Ahmed KamalTechnocore is the brand name of PVC multi-layer pipes manufactured and marketed by Hepworth under the license of Wavin. Technocore is a PVC pipe made up of three layers, which improves the durability of pipes more significantly than conventional pipes with solid wall construction. The secret lies in the new and ground-breaking microcellular foaming (MCF) technology from Wavin. A uniform middle layer construction based on many small-sized cells of ≤ 50 microns ensures increased mechanical properties of the pipe combined with the inner and outer layer ‘sandwich’ construction of virgin raw material, resulting in a pipe that exceeds all the requirements for durability despite its lower weight. The Wavin multi-layer technology has been used successfully for more than 25 years. Due to modern technology, existing pipe systems can be re-engineered to comply with new requirements and continuously rising standards that enter new markets (which replace conventional materials), dedicate functionality for each individual layer, improve the characteristics of the total pipe, and achieve environmental and sustainable advantages (CSR) The cell structure of the core of the pipes reduces the weight of the pipes. Less weight means less emissions and a more sustainable future. There are other indirect environmental factors. For example, lower weight means less CO2 emissions during transport, as well as reduced CO2 consumption during recycling, reuse and disposal. A lead-free system can create a healthy working condition and protects the environment. When using new technologies, less virgin raw materials (e.g. PVC resin) are required, which make them environmental-friendly and sustainable products when compared with conventional products. All the Wavin ML-PVC products are in line with EU lead-free legislation and therefore contribute to a better HSE policy and CSR aspects. They are stimulated and supported by TEPPFA. The Wavin ML-PVC technology enables producers to participate in voluntary programs such as Vinyl-Plus (following the successful Vinyl 2000 program) Wavin and Hepworth. ML-PVC products are rated as a ‘greener’ product compared with conventional products, which enables Wavin Group and Hepworth to win tenders in many EU countries as well as in the Middle East, for example Estidama in Abu Dhabi and potentially QNBN in Doha, Qatar.
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Growing together in a changing climate
More LessThroughout the climate change negotiations, young people have shown that they will not wait to inherit a world damaged by climate change, but that they want to be part of creating solutions. They have brought their energy and creativity to the intergovernmental process, demanding concrete action from their governments.
However, young people know that change must not only take place in terms of government, but also at home. They have changed their lifestyles, altering their consumption patterns to make ecologically conscious decisions. We expect young people to continue to lead us by launching environmentally responsible businesses and engaging in scientific research for clean and efficient energy sources.
We hope to foster greater awareness of how young people can get involved as well as promote further ideas and awareness on climate change and lifestyle.
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The common ground for sustainable urbanism in the case of Doha
More LessDoha, like most of the Gulf States' cities, has evolved dramatically to the global city model due to the oil economy, thereby experiencing a massive urban evolution and creating mega urban development projects that are inattentive to sustainability. Creating mega projects reflects different urban trends to fulfill the sustainable agenda. Sustainability, as a definition, is still vague, but the term survived the test of time. A large number of studies have conducted research on cities and how to change the development path to a more sustainable one. But sustainable urbanism cannot be reached if there is no standard definition of sustainability between different key players involved in the urbanization process. Between strategy and implementation, there is an apparent gap because there is no standard definition for sustainable urbanism. Recently, in Doha, some urban development has taken place, which claims to be viable. This study aims to evaluate these models through critical observation and analysis of the urban form and characteristic of these developments. It questions the level of applicability of such models to the context of Doha, and its urban revitalization process. First, the study documents the milestones of the sustainable urbanism strategy of Doha. Second, it analyzes key projects and how sustainable urbanism was implemented. In this study, four projects are used to compare the sustainable urbanism definition about strategy and implementation process. The aim of this paper is to highlight a common definition of sustainable urbanism for Doha, highlighting the challenges of policy and implementation. Finally, it compares the policy with the application to a more standard definition of sustainable urbanism appropriate to the Doha context. The paper argues that creating a common urban sustainability definition will narrow the gap between implementation and strategy. It concludes with recommendation guidelines to repost sustainable urbanism in the case of Doha.
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Developing sustainable construction practices and indicators for infrastructure projects in Qatar
More LessMain contractors for infrastructure projects need to comply with the following guidelines related to sustainability: (1) Law of Qatar; (2) Qatar Construction Specification 2015; (3) Environmental Impact Assessment (performed by an independent party, paid by the Employer); (4) Main Contractor's Contract Environmental/Sustainability Stipulations/Clauses. Infra projects that involve voluminous excavation works and subsequently dewatering like construction of tunnel/underpass and bored piles are required to comply with sustainability regulations in place. In the construction of tunnel/underpass, the main contractor should follow various processes to ensure compliance with sustainability requirements as per contract. First, the main contractor needs to get soil samples for every 5000 m3 for soil investigation. Then, reports are given to a consultant for review and any findings. Unfavorable results are reported to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) for remediation. One type of remediation would be the injection of air to the contaminated areas to promote bacterial life that lives on hydrocarbon which is biodegradable. This is a long but effective process. Dewatering pumped water can be released to the sea through a 30 mm-diameter flexible rubber pipe. Deep well can be constructed and the water is pumped directly within. An EFA (environmental flood area), which is a temporary infiltration evaporation basin, is constructed (as per the associated cross-section and plan drawings). During the construction, a trained environmental inspector conducts daily site visits to check for silt. When the silt is mixed with seawater, it endangers the ecosystem, polluting its inhabitants with hydrocarbon (oil or diesel). If the inspector discovers hydrocarbon during dewatering, the entire volume of the polluted water is pumped into a tank and transported to Messaied Sewage Treatment Facilities for treatment. The treated water is then transported back to the sea. Caution should be exercised to remove foam and any wastage instantly, and any such incident should be reported immediately to the Consultant Reporting System. A good reporting system is recommended to allow clear and easy monitoring and controlling of all environmental sustainability issues. The recommendation guidelines are as follows. (1) A daily report should be submitted by a trained environmental engineer (usually trained by an in-house environmental manager employed by the main contractor). (2) All reported incidents should be properly documented, and a workflow on where to direct these reports and what should be done to remedy the incident, be it short term or long term, is followed. (3) A weekly report is completed and complied by the main contractor as per the contract. This will be a summary of the daily reports including the findings containing a key performance indicator calculation and rating plus a graphical representation in color. The weekly report is not required by the Ministry of Environment, nor is it specified in the Qatar Construction Specification; however, this is a vital KPI monitoring tool that enables immediate assessment or remedy if required. (4) A monthly report is provided by the main contractor, which shows all reported incidents for the month. It is reported to the consultant who in turn presents it to the MME.
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Sustainable building materials: Green even below the surface?
More LessWhen it comes to material selection, green is now much more than a color – or is it? Material manufacturers are eager to pitch materials as sustainable or LEED certified or any number of valid and invalid qualifiers, and leave it to the consumer to sort the fact from fiction. Combining this with a growing interest from final clients in the specification of specific materials to support either a heartfelt or marketing desire of sustainability, the resulting confusion is inevitable. In the end, there are many factors contributing to sustainability when it comes to materials and their use in buildings. This paper will address the following:
Raw materials
Weight
Labor (time and materials)
Performance
Integration
In addition, the paper will present a list of recent material developments in the area of sustainability.
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Qatar's low-density sustainable neighborhoods
More LessTo date, much research has postulated that a city needs to be “compact” to be sustainable, and the supporting evidence has largely focused on energy efficiency especially obtained from public transportation efficiencies. However, recently, a counter proposal has emerged, stressing the importance of livability and that low density cities may be preferable in this respect. Doha is a low-density city. In this study, we examine how sustainable neighborhoods can create a low-density city by configuring to achieve livable communities that are both desirable and energy efficient. The findings of the literature review are examined with the aim of exploring the possibility of Doha becoming a fully sustainable city, and thus design concepts can be proposed.
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The economics of sustainable retrofitting
More LessUnited Nations' parties reaffirmed in the 21st Session of Climate Change Conference held in Paris the need to limit the global temperature increase to well below 2 degree Celsius (2015). Recent work by the UNEP shows that significant potential energy efficiency aimed at reducing CO2e emissions is in the built environment.
Therefore, retrofitting the existing stock is very important because there is a significant part of Qatar's national energy consumption found in its residential buildings. A detailed analysis of energy consumptions in Qatari villas is yet to be carried out. However, initial studies carried out by Darwish indicate that up to 70% of residential energy consumption goes in air conditioning. The Colliers Company has made a study in the residential market and found that villas in Qatar account for 24% of the existing house stock.
This study is important for the State of Qatar, as it would likely highlight the potential opportunity to increase the efficiency of current villas. This will assist Qatar's villas in becoming more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This paper looks at retrofitting of villas and how we can encourage energy conservation and possible strategies that can be applied.
When refurbishing a Qatari villa, there are a number of initiatives that need assessment to determine which can give the biggest reduction of CO2/m2 level per cost of capital investment (CO2/m2/$).
● Energy conservation:
○ Controls;
○ Update HVAC;
○ Import heat gain (building envelope and ventilation).
● De-carbonizing the energy:
○ Applying renewable energy source (PV, thermal, and ground source heat pump);
○ On/off site storage or feeding back the power of renewable energy to the grid.
We will use IES software to develop an energy model for a Qatari villa and run the simulations to assess the coast of each CO2e/m2 cap investment. Anticipated comparisons of the findings with the present UK initiatives, and providing the necessary steps to retrofit would be useful.
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Determining the prevailing mean temperature variables for GCC occupants' adaptive thermal comfort
By Hala YousefThermal comfort is, by definition, the condition of the mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment, and is assessed by subject evaluation. ASHRAE 55 Standard is a form of subjective evaluation that formalises the impact of the prevailing mean outdoor temperature as a major contributing factor on occupants' ability to adapt to the comfort levels of the maintained indoor temperatures. In a hot climatic region such as the GCC, occupants spend the majority of their time indoors with artificially cooled environments where the prevailing mean temperatures are not necessarily as dictated in the Standard to be the outdoor temperature. ASHRAE 55 evaluates the adaptive thermal comfort expectation of occupants and outlines the acceptable percentage of people who may feel uncomfortable based on the impact of prevailing mean outdoor temperatures. However, in the GCC, the prevailing mean temperatures may be more influenced by the mean indoor temperatures of the buildings where people spend the most significant amount of time, or a proportionate factor of the multiple buildings in which they spend their time. This study determines the prevailing mean temperature variables that influence the GCC occupants' thermal comfort, and how these factors inversely translate to an intolerance of outdoor temperatures driving the occupants further indoors.
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A smart city at your finger tips
By Elisa DwyerThe majority of modern urban developments are designed to be sustainable and smart. Lusail City is one of the world's largest urban development projects. Located in the north of Qatar's capital Doha, it will be home to 250,000 people once completed. A project of this size means substantial challenges in planning and coordinating the design, construction and operation to create an environment with enhanced quality of life and sustainable living. Therefore, it is vital to have a structured and consistent knowledge collection and information base. The base of a sustainable and smart city is the utilization of that knowledge and information. 3D asset management enables the utilization of information from all project phases and the management of the entire project life cycle. Mobile viewers are used to facilitate the cooperation, communication and data collection on-site in real time. Equipped with GIS, the mobile viewers deliver any location-enriched data, from any place, at any time. During the presentation, we will aim to cover the following topics: (1) reaching required goals to be a sustainable and smart city; (2) defining data standards; (3) data collection; (4) implementing intelligent software solutions. Towards the end of the presentation, we will showcase the potential outcome by using a clearly structured information base. HOCHTIEF ViCon is the leading service provider and consultant for virtual construction and Building Information Modeling (BIM). According to our principle “build digitally first”, we advise and assist our clients in the use of intelligent 3D computer models in order to minimize risks early on, communicate effectively, and save cost. We have gained experience on more than 450 projects in Europe, MENA, Americas, and Australia.
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The importance of ‘connected green spaces’ in maintaining a successful urban ecology
The Qatar National Development Framework 2032 outlines the need for enforcing a green belt around the city of Doha to limit urban sprawl and to create a transition zone from the urban to the natural desert environment. Green spaces have been shown to positively affect physical and mental human health mainly by creating opportunities for active living, improving air quality, as well as lowering temperature and runoff. Connected green spaces (CGSs) may offer greater benefits since a network of green spaces may provide a broader range of essential ecological functions and support a wealthier biodiversity. Here, we explore the planning aspect and form of CGSs, specifically applied to Doha city. First, we put forward the practical and achievable shapes of CGSs and linking corridors. We then present the feasibility of CGSs in arid regions, including the use of treated sewage effluent for irrigation to conserve resources, the need for the selection of native flora and fauna species to sustain connectivity between the built and the natural desert environment, as well as issues of invasive species and pest control. Al Garrafa area will be used as a case study to identify the potential for CGSs in Doha.
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Form without function: Transitions in the urban-built environment of Qatar
More LessThe introduction of air conditioning in Qatar has radically changed the everyday life both inside and outside the home both physically and socially. As part of a larger project investigating thermal comfort in Qatar, we seek to understand the ways changes in everyday Qatari life are connected to the articulation of a modernized and global national identity. Air conditioning is one of the material comforts that accompanies a diversifying economy as well as an influx of wealth and expatriates migrating to Qatar. We posit that in Qatar, similar to elsewhere in the Gulf, this economic and social trajectory has resulted in an increase in Western urban forms that do not take into account traditional design. Whereas the traditional design of Arab towns and neighborhoods reflects climatic and socio-religious practices, modernization has taken away many of these features, particularly in the design and articulation of new buildings in Qatar.
In what sense has it become difficult to orient oneself in Qatar with a place identity? This paper will discuss the various factors at place in the place identity challenges facing Qatar as a modern urban Arab city. We will discuss some of the salient features of passive cooling, such as wind towers and mashrabiya or screening, and how their inclusion in building identity is a nod to form without utilizing cooling functions. As case studies, we will discuss the ideas and impetus in such energy-intensive concepts that gave rise to the West Bay business district of skyscrapers and the ‘objects in a landscape’ approach to designing buildings in Education City.
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Native plant landscaping and species selection to promote sustainability and biodiversity in Qatar
The State of Qatar has chosen to pursue the path of sustainable development, making it the focus of the Qatar National Development Strategy. Given the large scale industrialization and the limited land availability, the urban environment will be crucial in maintaining native species. Current landscaping practices in Qatar are heavily reliant on introduced species that require extensive irrigation and modified soils in this hyper-arid desert environment. We provide an analysis of the dominant landscaping plants currently in use, including both the costs and benefits of the use of such plants. We also provide solutions by outlining options for the use of native plants in landscaping in Qatar. This includes the architectural, social and aesthetic aspects of the native species as well as the physical requirements such as water availability and soil demands.
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Urban ecology in deserts: Considerations in light of long-term sustainability, biodiversity conservation and human well-being
Authors: AD Chatziefthimiou, S Abdul Majid, N Karavotas, M Alaaeldin, A Amato, C Skelhorn and R RicherHistorically, urban ecology has been regarded as a mere extension of human ecology in the urban setting, and has been exercised as a science of parts. For example, urbanization has been studied in isolation of its effects on ecosystem services, richness of biodiversity and climate change. In recent years, concepts of sustainability have been infused into the science of urban ecology, and thus whole cities are viewed as integral ecosystem entities, impacted by urbanization and requiring interdisciplinary approaches of study. It may be argued that desert countries facing imminent desertification, especially those in the Arabian Gulf currently undergoing rampant infrastructural and industrial development, are in a more pressing need for an urban ecological design that would ameliorate the negative impacts of such development on air and soil quality. Additionally, climate change due to urbanization and the increased need for water desalination incur heat island effects and lead to deterioration of water quality, another strong driver to desertification. Qatar offers a very exciting challenge when it comes to urban ecological design and study, as it is a country that is still being developed; it is a country that has recognized the need for a sustainable development framework as that is showcased in the Qatar National Vision 2030; and it is a country whose Master Urban Plan is still not finalized, leaving room for implementation of best practices for a rich urban ecology. In this paper, we discuss aspects of air and water quality, and propose an urban ecological design that favors selection of indigenous and desert-adapted biota to conserve natural resources, conserve biodiversity and improve human well-being.
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Guidelines for terrestrial ecological surveys in Qatar
Authors: Sara Abdul Majid, Renee Richer, Arvind Bhatt, Alex Amato and Aspassia D. ChatziefthimiouDevelopment in Qatar is taking place at an unprecedented rate and such activities are putting the environment at risk, and threatening the ecosystem and biodiversity of the country. According to the Qatar National Vision 2030, the country seeks to preserve and protect its unique environment. The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) is tracking environmental impacts arising from development using tools such as Environmental Impact Assessments and Construction Environmental Management Plans. Although the MME does have a process for review and approval of the content of these assessments, it does not, however, enforce guidelines for ecological survey methodology. This means that the scope and methodology of these surveys may vary, based on the consultant employed. We feel that it would be highly beneficial to introduce country-specific ecological survey guidelines addressing methods for sample point selection, estimating vegetation cover, fauna presence and addressing the need for nocturnal fauna surveys. This will lead to standardized methods and easier comparisons across different sites. We also discuss the need for MME to have a register for professionally qualified and recognized ecologists in the country. Ecologists must be highly qualified with experience in desert environments, and have intricate knowledge of local laws and regulations on the conservation of natural environments and sustainable development.
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The contribution of human in the service of the sustainable green buildings – Gyms
Authors: Monjed Darabseh and Islam ObeidatSustainable or green architecture is a general term describing the environmentally conscious design techniques in the field of architecture, which is a way of designing buildings. In a way it respects the environment, by reducing energy consumption, materials and resources while minimizing the effect of construction and its use on the environment, organizing the relationship with nature.
There is an important role to be played in long-term sustainability in everyday life. There are many ways for saving energy in all areas of life; for example, we can find a way to use the energy generated by the sport machines that save energy.
In this paper, we discuss the importance of designing gyms in a way that it saves energy, while working on spreading this type of gyms in all sustainable green buildings and making it one of the basic products for energy. For the success of this project and design, we must urge the human side to exercise.
Q. What are the ingredients to be used for the success of this design?
Q. What are the methods of awareness and goodness for using gyms as a daily use?
Data on sustainable design were collected from published scientific research during the last five years, and applied the information obtained to design a sustainable gym.
After studying numerous subjects about energy-saving and its importance especially in the gyms at sustainable green buildings, we concluded that the sport machines should be linked to power generators to convert kinetic energy to electrical energy to be used in these buildings. We get a sustainable green building using the human resource. The importance of sustainable design lies in designing gyms through energy-saving and productivity of sport equipment to provide a healthy and athletic environment within the gyms.
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Public policies and cities: How to balance sustainability and inclusiveness?
More LessSustainable Development Goal # 11 (SDG # 11) has been a significant push for the global agenda to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. This paper will aim at focusing on the first and last components of SDG # 11 and try to explain how cities can balance both with right public policies. The reason why these two components are selected to discuss is that usually policy makers have historically seen them as two conflicting objectives. For instance, policies to create more public spaces such as parks, recreation areas, etc. in cities have been highly objected by developers and the private sector in general due to their low or almost zero revenue-generating potential. Then, are public policies towards cities doomed to fail in terms of bridging sustainability and inclusivity? Does it mean that cities are left with no choice to create winners and losers? What are the prospects for SDG # 11 if this inherent dilemma is not resolved? The paper will try to address these questions and conclude.
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Developing realistic sustainable strategies for automated construction
Authors: Steven Humphrey and Andrew ReidThe construction industry is increasingly experimenting with new automated construction techniques covering every aspect of the delivery process, from design through to operations. Technology is evolving fast, but understanding of the true benefits, sustainable implications, and practical implementation strategies remains limited. Despite numerous demonstration projects, which claim significant advancements and successes, industry-wide adoption has been lacking. However, many of the claims made by manufacturers, implementers, and sponsors are selective in the reporting of the project outcome, meaning that trust is reduced and wider adoption is constrained. This study explains the current functional limitations and misconceptions across a range of automated construction technologies, including 3D printing, robotic construction, pre-fabrication, and system control. It also examines the sustainability implications of the different strategies across all three core sustainable components to ask whether these methods really make a positive difference. The objective of the study is to provide a complete practical guide for the global construction aiming at how automated strategies can be adopted and why they should be adopted, along with guidelines for their use. Coupled with these strategies are a series of proposals for the manufacturing sector to consider, in order to develop equipment and systems that can be of greater functional benefit for the construction sector. Where genuine benefits are identified, these are examined to see how they could potentially be expanded to produce even greater sustainable rewards.
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