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Sustainable Building Environment

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 5722

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Elisa D. Sotelino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department Of Civil and Environmental Engineering, PUC-Rio, Rio de Janeiro 22451-900, Brazil
Interests: sustainable project development; lean construction; green construction; building information modeling (BIM); lifecycle assessment; building material reuse; building performance analysis; zero energy building (ZEB)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The civil construction industry, which is responsible for the building environment, has a major impact on the social and economic development of a country since it creates jobs and brings in wealth. At the same time, this industry is responsible for almost forty percent of waste generation and carbon dioxide emissions when compared to other industries that have adverse effects on the environment. Thus, the civil construction industry is considered one of the most polluting economies in existence and a major enemy of sustainable development. This negative scenario highlights the need for reforms in terms of work process methodology and demands the use of newly developed techniques and technologies.

Due to the ever-increasing pressure from society and health organizations, sustainability is become an especially important concern within the civil construction industry. Consequently, there is a demand not only for higher quality projects, improved productivity and efficiency, but also for sustainable development. The adoption of new concepts, such as building information modeling (BIM), energy-efficient buildings, lean and green construction, material reuse, life cycle assessment, etc., is growing as processes and technology evolve. The integration of these new concepts and technologies can help in the development of optimized solutions, which are more economic and reduce the negative impact this industry has in the environment.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • Synergy between BIM and lifecycle assessment;
  • New workflows for building design considering sustainability issues;
  • Construction waste material reuse;
  • New processes for decreasing CO2 emissions in the production of construction materials;
  • Energy-efficient materials;
  • New construction methods to reduce waste generation;
  • New systems for green construction;
  • Lean construction;
  • Nearly zero-energy buildings;
  • Energy simulation applied in the building design phase;
  • Social and environmental consequences due to construction activities.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Buildings.

Dr. Elisa D. Sotelino
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lean construction
  • green construction
  • building information modeling
  • lifecycle assessment
  • construction waste reuse
  • energy efficient materials
  • energy simulation

Published Papers (6 papers)

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20 pages, 3146 KiB  
Article
LCA Operational Carbon Reduction Based on Energy Strategies Analysis in a Mass Timber Building
by Moein Hemmati, Tahar Messadi, Hongmei Gu and Mahboobeh Hemmati
Sustainability 2024, 16(15), 6579; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156579 - 1 Aug 2024
Viewed by 381
Abstract
Buildings play a significant role in the rise of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Building operations are responsible for 28% of the world’s carbon emissions. It is crucial, therefore, to evaluate the environmental impact of various buildings’ operational phase in order to implement [...] Read more.
Buildings play a significant role in the rise of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Building operations are responsible for 28% of the world’s carbon emissions. It is crucial, therefore, to evaluate the environmental impact of various buildings’ operational phase in order to implement sustainable strategies for the mitigation of their energy usage and associated carbon footprint. While numerous studies have been conducted to determine the carbon footprint of conventional building operation phases, there are still a lack of actual data on the operational carbon (OC) emissions of mass timber buildings. There is also a lack of research pertaining to the operational carbon of buildings within larger campuses and their inherent energy usage. This study, therefore, aims to quantify empirical data on the carbon footprint of a mass timber building, using, as a case study, the recent Adohi Hall building, situated at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. The study also aims to examine and identify the best energy use scenarios for the campus building under consideration. The research team obtained data on Adohi Hall’s energy consumption, fuel input usage, and other utilities (such as water, electricity, chilled water, and natural gas) accounting for the operation of the building from 2021 to 2023, a span of three years. The University of Arkansas Facilities Management (FAMA) provided the data. The study relies on the life cycle assessment (LCA) as its primary approach, with SimaPro 9, Ecoinvent v3.7 database, DataSmart, version 2023.1 and the U.S. Life Cycle Inventory (USLCI) database utilized to model the energy and water consumption of Adohi Hall during the operational phase (B6 & B7). The results indicate 4496 kg CO2 eq emissions associated with the operation per square meter of Adohi Hall over its 50-year lifespan. The study also examines various scenarios of fuel sources leading to carbon emissions and provides insights into reduction strategies during the operational phase of buildings. Among them, the electricity based on a cleaner fuel source diversification, according to realistic expectations and technological advancements projections, results in a 17% reduction in Adohi Hall’s OC. Due to the usage of the combined heat and power (CHP) plant on the campus of the University of Arkansas as a complementary source of electricity and heating for Adohi Hall, the resulting carbon emission is approximately 21% (20.73%) less when compared to similar buildings in the same city but outside the campus. The study, therefore, reveals that CHP plant development is a highly effective strategy for building OC reduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Environment)
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25 pages, 2430 KiB  
Article
A Roadmap for Reducing Construction Waste for Developing Countries
by Merve Anaç, Gulden Gumusburun Ayalp and Merve Karabeyeser Bakan
Sustainability 2024, 16(12), 5057; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125057 - 13 Jun 2024
Viewed by 657
Abstract
With the rapid development of the construction industry, construction waste (CW) has recently attracted much attention in many developing countries such as Türkiye. As a result, the effective management of construction waste has emerged as a critical concern at the global level. Reducing [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of the construction industry, construction waste (CW) has recently attracted much attention in many developing countries such as Türkiye. As a result, the effective management of construction waste has emerged as a critical concern at the global level. Reducing and managing CW is imperative to promote sustainable urban development. Although several scholars have made many valuable attempts to develop strategies to minimize CW, one of the most effective ways is to propose a road map for CW minimization, which is a method that has never been applied before, neither in this domain nor in the construction management and architectural domain. Unlike former studies, a roadmap was developed for reducing CW in this study. To create a roadmap, three steps were followed in this study. Firstly, CW causes were identified with a systematic literature review. Then, surveys were conducted with the construction stakeholders to obtain their perceptions of these causes. A normalized mean value analysis was conducted, and the importance and criticality of the CW causes were determined. Secondly, a timeline was developed, and it overlapped with the importance of the causes. Finally, roadmap strategies were created, and solutions were proposed to solve the causes of CW in the short, medium, and long term. The roadmap method, which is often used to develop new technologies, has not been used in this way to solve a problem before. Therefore, the study is unique and offers strategies that can be integrated into other studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Environment)
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19 pages, 2460 KiB  
Article
Technical and Economic Feasibility of Multi-Family Social Housing and Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings in Southern Brazil
by Eduardo Pierozan, Taylana Piccinini Scolaro, Elise Sommer Watzko and Enedir Ghisi
Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2608; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072608 - 22 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 829
Abstract
Several studies have shown that social housing in Brazil usually fails to provide thermal comfort to its occupants. This study aimed to define energy efficiency measures for a representative social housing model to, together with local production of renewable energy, achieve the nearly [...] Read more.
Several studies have shown that social housing in Brazil usually fails to provide thermal comfort to its occupants. This study aimed to define energy efficiency measures for a representative social housing model to, together with local production of renewable energy, achieve the nearly zero-energy target. The thermal performance and energy efficiency of the representative model were evaluated using computer simulation, considering the southern Brazilian climatic context. An analysis of the economic feasibility of energy efficiency measures was also carried out. The results showed that the nearly zero-energy model with energy efficiency measures on the envelope (EPS and gypsum board in the external walls and rock wall in the roof) and a solar water heating system reduced 13.1% of the annual primary energy consumption in comparison with the representative model. Considering the renewable energy generation in the nearly zero-energy building, the electricity consumption was 38,777.6 kWh/year lower than that in the representative model (57.0% reduction). The economic analysis of the energy efficiency measures indicated a positive net present value and a payback of nearly six years. It was concluded that using energy efficiency measures and an on-site renewable made it possible to reach the nearly zero-energy target in a representative social housing model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Environment)
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23 pages, 12169 KiB  
Article
An Empirical Study of a Passive Exterior Window for an Office Building in the Context of Ultra-Low Energy
by Haibo Yu, Hui Zhang, Xiaolin Han, Ningcheng Gao, Zikang Ke and Junle Yan
Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13210; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713210 - 3 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1059
Abstract
As the energy crisis continues to intensify and with increasing awareness of global climate change, the issue of high energy consumption and emissions in buildings is garnering more attention. Windows have significant research value and importance as pivotal components in the development of [...] Read more.
As the energy crisis continues to intensify and with increasing awareness of global climate change, the issue of high energy consumption and emissions in buildings is garnering more attention. Windows have significant research value and importance as pivotal components in the development of ultra-low-energy buildings. This study presents a proposal for a passive exterior window considering the climatic conditions prevalent in the hot summer and cold winter zone of China. Firstly, an experimental platform was established outside a standard office to conduct tests and analyze the indoor thermal environment for four different scenarios in the summer and winter by comparing a passive room (PR) and non-passive room (NPR), respectively. The human apparent temperature was calculated based on the collected thermal environment data and subsequently evaluated. Lastly, the indoor environmental temperature (IET), window surface temperature (WST), and apparent temperature (AT) data were subjected to non-linear fitting regression analysis using Origin software. The primary aim of this analysis was to examine the impact of the passive exterior window on the indoor thermal environment and establish the feasibility of implementing such a window in the hot summer and cold winter zone of China. The results showed that: (1) in the summer, the IET and WST in the PR exhibited reductions of 0.8 °C and 0.6 °C, respectively, under ventilated conditions compared to the NPR; (2) in the winter, the IET and WST of the PR remained lower compared to those of the NPR (however, the temperature differential between the IET and WST in the PR amounted to 6.8 °C and 7.7 °C, respectively, while the corresponding disparity in the NPR was 8.1 °C and 9.3 °C); and (3) regarding the AT, during summer ventilation, the PR exhibited a substantial reduction of up to 3.5 °C in comparison to the NPR. Moreover, in the context of winter, the time for indoor human thermal perception to reach a comfortable level was extended by 0.5 h. Future investigations will delve into the influence of passive exterior windows on building energy consumption, and this research can provide a practical reference for energy-efficient design and retrofitting of exterior windows in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Environment)
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19 pages, 3207 KiB  
Article
From Technological Sustainability to Social Sustainability: An Analysis of Hotspots and Trends in Residential Design Evaluation
by Meijiao Song, Jun Cai and Yisi Xue
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10088; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310088 - 26 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1159
Abstract
Residential design should not only meet the growing demand for habitation but also reduce the negative impact on the natural environment. Therefore, the sustainability of residential buildings has become increasingly important in residential design evaluation. Taking the core database of the Web of [...] Read more.
Residential design should not only meet the growing demand for habitation but also reduce the negative impact on the natural environment. Therefore, the sustainability of residential buildings has become increasingly important in residential design evaluation. Taking the core database of the Web of Science platform as its source of information, this paper uses bibliometrics to visually analyze the current research status of residential design evaluation and its development trends, as well as hotspots of research from the perspectives of the annual distribution of publications, research fields and institutions, keywords, and highly cited articles. The results demonstrate the following: the number of publications on residential design evaluation has shown an overall upward trend and has grown rapidly over the past five years. Furthermore, due to the emergence of social issues, such as the aging population, social polarization, and rising urban poverty levels, scholars in the field have attached importance to the comprehensive evaluation of residential senior-friendliness, fairness, health, and quality, thereby expanding the connotation of residential sustainability from the technological dimension toward the social dimension. This paper can help researchers to identify future research directions in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Environment)
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24 pages, 2415 KiB  
Systematic Review
Towards Zero: A Review on Strategies in Achieving Net-Zero-Energy and Net-Zero-Carbon Buildings
by Hoi-Lam Lou and Shang-Hsien Hsieh
Sustainability 2024, 16(11), 4735; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114735 - 2 Jun 2024
Viewed by 967
Abstract
The establishment of net-zero-energy and net-zero-carbon buildings can offer significant opportunities to reduce environmental impact in the building sector. Several successful net-zero-energy buildings highlight the feasibility of reducing energy consumption via energy-efficient strategies and the use of renewable energy technologies. To comprehend the [...] Read more.
The establishment of net-zero-energy and net-zero-carbon buildings can offer significant opportunities to reduce environmental impact in the building sector. Several successful net-zero-energy buildings highlight the feasibility of reducing energy consumption via energy-efficient strategies and the use of renewable energy technologies. To comprehend the existing innovatory designs, techniques, and practices employed to achieve net-zero-energy buildings, this research aims to review the up-to-date advancements in net-zero-energy building practices. The utilization of embodied carbon assessments to achieve the net-zero status of buildings is explored. The findings indicate an escalating global interest and participation in the field of study, and reveal three major areas related to net-zero-energy buildings: multidisciplinary approaches, energy systems, and guidance, which together cover thirteen subfields. The role of life cycle assessment in buildings is emphasized, offering insights into the role of embodied emissions relative to operational emissions over the entire life cycle of a building. In the end, possible future study directions are outlined, including balancing energy efficiency with sustainability, and assessing the impact of design on emissions and economic outcomes. These areas collectively contribute to transforming sustainable building concepts into reality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Environment)
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