Abstract
Sustainability and the concept of sustainable development now forms part of governmental policy around the world. The United Arab Emirates is no different, recognising that its ecological footprint and continued growth require management of resources and waste streams. A fundamental part of this is sustainable construction and operation of civil engineering projects such as buildings, roads and airports. Geotechnical engineering is required on practically all civil engineering projects yet is often overlooked when design and construction decisions are being made regarding civil engineering sustainability. One of the most common ways to measure sustainability in civil engineering projects is through rating tools. Rating tools have grown and developed internationally for decades and are used across the world for various different projects (buildings, roads, infrastructure etc.). The United Arab Emirates have developed their own local ratings tools (and sustainability frameworks) and have mandated their use in certain projects. There is significant scope for geotechnical engineering to contribute to improving sustainability and rating tools are one element that can be developed. A detailed review of local and international ratings tools is carried out to understand where geotechnical engineering can currently contribute and the possibilities to improve geotechnical sustainability in the United Arab Emirates are discussed.
Highlights
The UAE is a constitutional federation of seven emirates founded in 1971
Sustainability forms part of the national agenda in the United Arab Emirates and as part of this, sustainability during construction and operation of construction projects is recognised as an area where improvements can be made
Rating tools are frequently used during engineering projects to measure how sustainable a project is and some of the Emirates have developed sustainable rating tools
Summary
Shareef and Altan (2016) provide a comparison between international and Middle Eastern rating tools. The Emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras al Khaimah (RAK) have developed local sustainability programmes and rating tools, focussing on the challenges and opportunities specific to the region. The Pearl Rating System is a rating tool and was designed to ensure sustainability throughout the project life cycle (from design through construction to operation) It has been mandatory for all new buildings in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi since 2010. The Emirate of Ras al Khaimah has recently introduced Barjeel green buildings regulations (2018). They support the United Arab Emirates policies of sustainable development, through the application of minimum requirements for new buildings. There are mandatory sustainable rating tools in place within the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and RAK. It has been adopted in the region (for example on Qatar’s Inner Doha Re-Sewerage Implementation Strategy (IDRIS) Program)
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