Role of Structural Engineers in Sustainable Construction
As more and more structural engineers have been considering their role in sustainability, there have been more resources available. The best sources of useful information concerning structural engineering and sustainable development are the May and June editions of Structure Magazine. This printed publication is made available freely to all NCSEA and SEI members, but anyone can access the online articles.
Sustainability articles typically address either the entire design process or specific strategies. This provides a convenient way to separate them into categories. First up, we have the articles that address design in general:
Overall Design Strategies
Once again, Structure Magazine leads the way with an article "Sustainable Buildings and the Structural Engineer." This article delineates all of the issues that sustainable develop should address and then shows how the structural engineer can impact the design. This is a great way to see all of the ideas laid out in one easy to grasp format.
Another article that I found useful is hosted at GoStructural.com (publisher of the trade magazine Structural Engineer). This is actually a collection of articles all on the same topic of sustainability.
Reuse of existing structures
One of the great things about sustainable development is that it recognizes the importance of historic preservation, or retaining existing buildings of any type. You may have heard the expression "The greenest building is one that's already built." This is the title of an article published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, written by Carl Elefante. It's a great introduction into how these two topics work together, and a great rallying cry for those who feel that LEED credits don't properly address the issue.
Building on this call to reuse rather than tear-down and rebuild, another Structure Magazine article "Missed Opportunities in Structural Sustainablility" quantifies exactly how effective it would be to reuse a building. The bottom line: very effective. Essentially, this article shows that tearing down a building in just about any condition is the least green thing that can be done.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has issued a whitepaper laying out exactly why reusing buildings is sustainable, extending the definition to include economics, social benefits, and environmental benefits. Another great read for people looking for ways to change policy and public opinion.
Lastly, the NTHP has put up a fun slideshow of pictures of structures submitted by readers that show promise for renovation or adaptive reuse. So here is Reuse it! (a Flickr group). Feel free to add your own.
Minimizing use of materials
An interesting editorial in Structure Magazine on the topic of "Voided Two-Way Flat Plate Slabs". This is a particular strategy of sustainable design called dematerialization. Basically, if you consume fewer resources for a building of similar strength then you are doing good for the environment. Of course, you can't put that sort of strategy into a ratings system (e.g. LEED) because then every engineer will claim they are using less material. The USGBC handled this problem in other trades by creating a baseline case, so the strategy may still work for structural engineering. But few people want to encourage engineers to use less material, so it probably won't be included for that reason.
Maximizing material effectiveness
Another interesting Structure Magazine article addresses materials that act as structure, insulation, and soundproofing. "The Road to Code Acceptance for Autoclaved Aerated Concrete" details how AAC is being (slowly) approved by code provisions, as well as how to use it in your buildings even today by getting a per-project approval from your local jurisdiction.
And finally, news from the Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (PAKSBAB). This group has more of a "damn the torpedoes" mentality because there really are no trade groups that would profit from such a low cost building material. So the only way this type of material will ever get used is from prototypes and bona fide living experiments. I wish them the best of luck!
Sustainability articles typically address either the entire design process or specific strategies. This provides a convenient way to separate them into categories. First up, we have the articles that address design in general:
Overall Design Strategies
Once again, Structure Magazine leads the way with an article "Sustainable Buildings and the Structural Engineer." This article delineates all of the issues that sustainable develop should address and then shows how the structural engineer can impact the design. This is a great way to see all of the ideas laid out in one easy to grasp format.
Another article that I found useful is hosted at GoStructural.com (publisher of the trade magazine Structural Engineer). This is actually a collection of articles all on the same topic of sustainability.
Reuse of existing structures
One of the great things about sustainable development is that it recognizes the importance of historic preservation, or retaining existing buildings of any type. You may have heard the expression "The greenest building is one that's already built." This is the title of an article published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, written by Carl Elefante. It's a great introduction into how these two topics work together, and a great rallying cry for those who feel that LEED credits don't properly address the issue.
Building on this call to reuse rather than tear-down and rebuild, another Structure Magazine article "Missed Opportunities in Structural Sustainablility" quantifies exactly how effective it would be to reuse a building. The bottom line: very effective. Essentially, this article shows that tearing down a building in just about any condition is the least green thing that can be done.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has issued a whitepaper laying out exactly why reusing buildings is sustainable, extending the definition to include economics, social benefits, and environmental benefits. Another great read for people looking for ways to change policy and public opinion.
Lastly, the NTHP has put up a fun slideshow of pictures of structures submitted by readers that show promise for renovation or adaptive reuse. So here is Reuse it! (a Flickr group). Feel free to add your own.
Minimizing use of materials
An interesting editorial in Structure Magazine on the topic of "Voided Two-Way Flat Plate Slabs". This is a particular strategy of sustainable design called dematerialization. Basically, if you consume fewer resources for a building of similar strength then you are doing good for the environment. Of course, you can't put that sort of strategy into a ratings system (e.g. LEED) because then every engineer will claim they are using less material. The USGBC handled this problem in other trades by creating a baseline case, so the strategy may still work for structural engineering. But few people want to encourage engineers to use less material, so it probably won't be included for that reason.
Maximizing material effectiveness
Another interesting Structure Magazine article addresses materials that act as structure, insulation, and soundproofing. "The Road to Code Acceptance for Autoclaved Aerated Concrete" details how AAC is being (slowly) approved by code provisions, as well as how to use it in your buildings even today by getting a per-project approval from your local jurisdiction.
And finally, news from the Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (PAKSBAB). This group has more of a "damn the torpedoes" mentality because there really are no trade groups that would profit from such a low cost building material. So the only way this type of material will ever get used is from prototypes and bona fide living experiments. I wish them the best of luck!
Labels: green design, greenhouse gas, greenwashing, historic preservation, LEED, structural engineering
posted by Graeme at
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