Holistic design: key to sustainability in concrete construction

Abstract

There have been unparalleled advances during the latter half of the last century, to the scientific, engineering and social face of the world, but in that process, the world has also been plunged into several interrelated crises. In the context of the construction industry, these crises can be broadly classified in terms of environment, durability and sustainability. The crises have risen from a number of factors such as technological industrialisation, population growth, worldwide urbanisation, and uncontrolled pollution and creation of waste. There is now the real danger that the massive, indiscriminate and wasteful consumption of the world's material and energy resources may result in extensive global warming that is hard to reverse. The price for this environmental abuse is the rapid deterioration and destruction of the world's infrastructure, water shortages, environmental disasters, and material/structural deterioration by the forces of nature. Every crisis experienced in the world has a direct impact on the construction industry, and since the construction industry is closely interlinked with energy, resources and environment, irredeemable environmental degradation can only be prevented by sustainable development of the industry which alone can give hope for a better world and better quality of life. This paper advocates a holistic approach to design and construction integrating all aspects from conceptual design to completion and maintenance during service life.