Sustainable Construction: Challenges, Contribution of Polymers, Research Arena

Abstract

Sustainable development is one of the leading civilization ideas. This term means such a development that satisfies the present needs without a limitation of the possibility of satisfying the needs in the future. Sustainable development in construction is particularly important, as this branch of the industry is consuming enormous amounts of mass and energy. A new research area has been created by this idea. The new fields of investigation are involved with material, energetic, and environmental conditions, but also with such topics as protection against noise and the methods of the evaluation of the efficiency of waste materials storage. Merging the worlds of cement concrete and concrete-polymer composites opens ways to synergetic effects that support sustainable material development. Implementation of the idea of sustainable development in the construction industry will be a source of scientific and engineering inspiration for many years to come. 1. Sustainable development – a challenge for civilisation The notion of sustainable development aspires to the role of a leading civilisational idea. Sustainable development “implies meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [UN, 1987]. The term is the most frequently found expression in forecasts and similar studies. It follows from philosophical premises and – in Poland – it is a constitutional prerequisite: ”The Republic of Poland shall safeguard the independence and integrity of its territory and ensure the freedoms and rights of persons and citizens, security of citizens, safeguarding of Poland‟s national heritage, and ensure the protection of the natural environment pursuant to the principles of sustainable development.” Therefore, sustainable development constitutes a principle that is to be followed by the Republic of Poland, in turn safeguarding fundamental values. In the Environmental Protection Laws, the definition of sustainable development is expanded further: such socio-economic development, in which – in order to equalise the opportunities to access the environment by individual communities or their members – both of contemporary generations and those still to come – a process of the integration of