Sustainability could be often regarded as the necessary implementation to certain business operations, but if the directors and business owners fail embedding the defined sustainability practices into building constructions.
Multi-layered risks are related to failure in acting on climatic changes, and the risks are catastrophic at the highest level - for the construction industry and communities as a whole.
The climate liability lenses are vividly focussed on the companies. Are the buildings resilient to natural disasters and climate shocks, and whether they are having a business continuity plan for the climate-driven events? When judged from the reputational perspective, reducing and finally negating the carbon footprint of the built environment is absolutely critical.
Now the buildings' sustainability belongs to the Engineers Declare Movement, which being launched in September 2019, has gained great traction. As more than 160 engineering companies with 2000 engineers have declared climate and biodiversity awareness as an emergency, and it is significantly increasing.
The project sustainability is often focussed on the building services and energy, but the structural engineers even have to holistically view the way of embedding deeper sustainability. The structural engineers have traditionally ignored the embodied carbon generation at the time of building construction since limited points were available in the accreditation system to utilise the less carbon-intensive materials. But the Engineers Declare Movement has changed this focus. Nevertheless, the structural engineers in Brisbane, Queensland have the ultimate responsibility for driving the message at the commencement of a construction project. that a lot more could be and should be done with regards to embedding sustainable practices into the structural engineering projects.
The structural engineers are responsible for actively discussing the methods for minimizing the carbon footprint with the investors and architects. For instance, the locally sources timbers are sustainably managed and contain a smaller carbon footprint compared to the materials like steel and concrete. But, as a material, timber is not a practical solution for all types of buildings. Where steel and carbon are absolutely necessary, there the structural engineers have to encourage using the less carbon-intensive production methods having options to be explored like greener concrete by using fly ash, specifying the recycled steel and recycled water.
Now the Geopolymer concretes have even emerged with significantly less carbon impact. Both the climate as well as the project budget will benefit from a good outcome with minimized material use by means of good structural design practice.
A building's business sustainability creates a direct and immediate relevance on a number of facets of the operation. The business owners, have to legally conduct the duty of care for identifying the relevant climate risks. Alternatively, from the insurance perspective, the underwriters are becoming highly concerned with the climate resilience of the buildings - rather, a few global assets are practically uninsurable due to the risks of climatic changes. The structural engineers have to build resilience into the building stock so the present-day designed structures have the capability of load resistance likely to be applied with climatic changes. Once the developers and building owners are made aware of the effects the changing climate will have on their buildings, then a smooth way will be paved for achieving this outcome. The key matters to be discussed with the operators, owners and developers are the rainfall intensity associated with flooding levels, windstorms and hails.
Since its inception, sustainability practices have now become imperative to structural designs and structural engineering. The structural engineers holistically view sustainability so it can impact across every stage, other than solely being confined to energy output and building services.
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