PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION

Introduction and analysis of the subject of the course. Environmental impact of the construction sector. Production of building materials (BM) and environmental footprint. Applications and use of BM and correlation with environmental cost. Participation of production and use of BM in climate change. Service life of structures. Methods and tools for environmental cost (EC) assessment. Directions for reduction of total environmental cost and current trends. Terminology.

Life cycle analysis (LCA). The LCA methodological framework. Definition of goal and scope. Life cycle inventory. Environmental impact assessment. Interpretation. LCA software tools. Evaluation and certification systems for sustainability of buildings (BREEAM, LEED, etc.).

Estimation of service lifetime. Durability of building materials. General mechanisms for reducing the durability of building materials and structures. Common mechanisms for reducing the durability of reinforced concrete. Service life estimation through prediction models.

Environmental cost. Fixed environmental cost (EC). Operational environmental cost. Total environmental cost. EC calculation and optimization. Review of regulations and guidelines for sustainable construction.

EC reduction techniques and materials. Principles of circular economy and industrial ecology. Design and brief reference to industrial building systems with the possibility of disassembly / reuse. Use of supplementary cementing materials and industrial products in construction (“green” substitutes for conventional building materials: fly ash, slag, biomass ash, etc. – current situation in Greece). Recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW) and legal framework. CO₂ capture in construction and mitigation of climate change.

Application examples and case studies. Calculation of service life of specific concrete structures made of reinforced concrete. Application of LCA in specific building materials and structures. LCA as part of policy making during the design phase. Implementation of certification systems for the viability of projects and buildings (BREEAM, LEED, etc.). Use of specific industrial by-products in construction. Proposals for the recycling of specific CDW streams (recycling of concrete, bricks, plasterboard, etc.).

Additional information
LEARNING OUTCOMES

SEMESTER	10ο
Details	https://www.civil.upatras.gr/index.php/odhgos/
Instructor	PAPADAKIS VAGELIS
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION and EXAMINATIONS	Greek
Credits ECTS	5
Teaching Hours	3
Erasmus+	YES (in English)
Code	CIV_0275Α

The objectives of this course are:

The construction sector accounts for over 40% of total energy consumption in the EU and produces more than 35% of greenhouse gas emissions, while building materials consume 30-50% of the available raw materials worldwide and produce about 40% of landfill waste (OECD countries). In addition, an important parameter that is directly related to long-term environmental impact, in addition to technical and economic one, is the durability of materials and structures.

The aim of the course is to first highlight the size and extent of this issue (building materials, construction and environment) and its contribution in the creation and evolution of global phenomena, such as the greenhouse effect and climate change. It then develops and provides the student with methodological tools for qualitative and quantitative assessment of overall environmental impact, such as Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), also enhancing knowledge by listing methods for estimating the total service lifetime of structures and infrastructure. In addition to this general approach, the term “environmental cost” is presented and analyzed, which together with the financial cost and technical adequacy, give through optimization, the best possible solutions for the design and implementation of projects. Furthermore, specific techniques and materials for reducing environmental cost are presented, by applying principles of circular economy and industrial ecology.

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

– know what Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is, and how this methodological tool works, but also how it is applied to various issues of selection of building materials, specific structures, etc., through appropriate software.

– be able to estimate the service lifetime of a structure (application in reinforced concrete); a property necessary according to the LCA.

– become familiar with methods / models of environmental assessment of structures.

– be able to calculate the fixed, operational and total environmental cost of building materials and structures, also knowing the respective regulations and instructions for sustainable construction.

– know the basic principles of circular economy and industrial ecology.

– have basic information on the use of supplementary cementing materials and industrial by-products in construction.

– know how the recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is done.

– be informed about the possibilities of CO₂ capture in structures and contribution of structures in the mitigation of the climate change.