Construction And The Environment - Effects On Soil

Soil is definitely the mainstay of the environment, whether in its loose soft form or in the form of rock. The following are common ways in which construction activities distract the normal form of soil, thereby shaking the environmental mechanisms that the same support.

· Mining for building materials for example stone or clay for building blocks or for cement alters the normal form of the landscape. It leads to formation of derelict landscapes, most of which cannot support the normal forms of life. Open mines are also notorious for holding surface water in pools, most of which habour a different form of life.

· Blasting as is common in rock excavation destabilizes the ground, posing the dangers of earth movement like landslides. The breakage of rock enhances the rates of weathering, thereby breaking up rock even more faster.

· Mass excavation of topsoil deprives the ground of life - supporting soil stratum.

· Creation of cess pools and soak away pits for sewage disposal lead to the intoxication of soil. Treatment ponds have a similar effect.

· Activities leading to the reduction of water available, whether surface or sub surface, leads to a reduction in soil water, thereby altering its live supporting capabilities.

· Leaving open sections of soil like is common in embankment and uncovered sections exposes soil to agents of erosion, notably rain, thereby shaping the landscape as well as moving humus rich top soil from one section to the other.

· Compaction of soil, especially on a large scale and in many layers alters the normal stratification as well as penetrability by plant roots as well as percolation by water.

· Importation of alien soils of a different kind creates an inconsistency and as such a disjoint. It also creates an anomaly in the environmental patterns in the constructed area.

As noted, soil is a very crucial part of the environment and it needs to be treated with utmost care. Hampering the normal conditions of soil amounts to a distraction in the normal flow of life in the environment. Soil is perhaps among the most crucial pillars of life. It is also among the biggest victims of the activities of construction. This makes considerations on soil conservation measures in any construction works to be very carefully thought out and implemented. It is the duty of all the stakeholders involved to work together to reach the goal of minimum soil disturbance in all the construction projects they are involved in.

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Construction And The Environment - Effects On Climate

Climate change is definitely the most identifiable global concerns today. It has taken centre stage in world for and has raised many mitigative measures to counter the worrying trends. Construction is one of the contributors to climate change as can be derived from our previous examples, which are summarized below.

· Lowering of the water table, making it more difficult for plants to survive.

· Hampering with weather conditions for example by altering normal rain formation trends of a specific area.

· Clearing vegetation, reducing moisture available for rain formation.

· Reducing water available to water bodies with similar effects as above.

· Increasing water available in an area for evaporation and thus more precipitation in an area.

· Industrial and residential emissions, altering normal air conditions.

All these and more are ways in which construction activity has continually led to climate change. The conditions of an area are continually changed to form completely different ones. Some of the common direct results of these include:

· Depletion of the ozone layer, risking us to harmful radiations from the sun.

· Reduced precipitation, resulting to more cost of acquiring water.

· Increased precipitation, requiring more elaborate ways of removing excess water or even requiring project design changes.

· Reduction of food in the food chain, leading more food chain conflict and imbalances.

These are just but examples. The blatant truth is that climate change is becoming a very thorny issue and it needs to be addressed by all and sundry. All avenues available for averting this trend should be sought and followed. Key players in the construction industry ought to join hands with their counterparts, especially in the manufacturing industry, to come up with eco friendly products and procedures. Activities that lead to toxic emissions, for example, should be shunned as much as possible and if not, should be put at a minimum. Buildings should be provided with utilities that lead to less wastage, for example by reusing some materials. The issue of cost and value should be clearly addressed to make sure that the better advantage goes to the environment as opposed to the developer alone. Consultations should be done to ensure that all the hurdles to environmental conservation that arise in any project are properly handled at the earliest opportune moment.

It is always important to remember that our climate determines just how easy our tomorrow will be. It thus calls for all that are involved to put into consideration the idea of continuity in the construction project at hand.

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Construction And The Environment - Green Building

This is a conclusion to our series of articles on ways in which construction affects the environment. Green building is a concept in construction which aims at creating environment friendly construction. The aim here is to reduce the impact of construction on the environment as well as coming up with remedial measures to resuscitate the already chocking environment. Below are just examples of green construction practices.

· Using renewable energy sources in buildings for example solar and wind energy in the place of electricity and fossil fuels.

· Coming up with designs that require minimum energy supporting systems like maximizing on day lighting in buildings as opposed to electric lighting.

· Reducing the use of timber in construction, especially rare and deciduous types, and in their place using fast growing species like bamboo and softwoods in controlled forests and plantations.

· Reusing timber as well as timber wastes like saw dust to make timber replacements.

· Tapping into rainwater and other precipitation for use in buildings to replace or supplement water from other sources.

· Reducing water wastage by making use of pressure control valves, low flush cisterns and the like.

· Reusing grey water (all used water in the house, other than from closets, bidets and such).

· Using porous materials in parking and general surfaces to allow for percolation of water for replenishing sub surface.

· Incorporating gardening and greening in built up areas, including the introduction of green roofs.

· Reducing earth-moving activities for construction works.

· Avoiding construction in environmentally fragile areas for example water catchment areas.

· Reducing the wastes from buildings that end up in land fills by ensuring sorting at source. A good example is where biodegradable wastes are put in different bins and used as fertilizers.

· Rehabilitating derelict land and mine fields by planting trees and such environmental conservation measures.

All these and many other similar measures will definitely nurture the environment. They will however need a lot of deliberation and forward planning so as to make success. It is also worth noting that green building is usually more expensive upfront but could be affordable in the building life cycle. Furthermore, the extra cost in money will be compensated in a sustainable environment.

Green construction is a collective responsibility and should be sought by all and sundry. Architectural association and building regulatory boards the world over should put all the necessary efforts to have their jurisdictions adopt green construction. Governments should also demonstrate green building in their projects to have their subjects easily accept them. Learning institutions and training institutes should also put enough emphasis on these procedures. Green construction materials and equipment should also be zero rated to reduce costs as well as create a preference.

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Construction And The Environment - Introduction

As seen in my previous articles, construction is among the major human activities that result to landmark products. The activities of construction produce items that stand on land replacing natural features or even changing them. Some of the activities change the landscape by either adding or omitting some of them. Construction also makes use of a good number of materials borrowed from the environment, whether in their natural state or in a processed form. Furthermore, the usage of the product of construction leads to the production of elements of waste which are then directed to the environment, mostly in a cleansed manner, although in most cases, this is not fully accomplished.

In all these activities, the environment is impacted in one way or the other. In many occasions, they are detrimental to the environment, with the only variable being the degree and nature of such impact. While some effects are short - term and easily overcome, others are irreversible and thus leave a permanent mark on our environment.

Being among a global concern, environmental impact reduction should be reduced, reversed and even prevented from occurring by all that are involved. This will include all stakeholders in the construction industry, as it is a potential cause of such ills to our environment. The following are just a few ways that various players in the construction industry can use to achieve environmental friendly projects:

· Prospective builders should be advised on the need and ways of building environmental friendly buildings.

· Designers should see to it that matters environment are handled with utmost care in all projects they handle.

· Statutory bodies should ensure that construction designs and methodologies adopted for any upcoming projects are in tandem with the responsibility of environmental care and sustainability.

· Occupiers should ensure that no activity that they are engaged in result to environmental jeopardy.

When all and sundry understand the need and the ways of caring for the environment, then we will be a step closer to good environmental impact management as far as construction is concerned. It is also worth noting that for such a goal to be successful, it calls for the collective responsibility by all. Otherwise, the sweat of one person will be watered down by the ignorance or omission of the other. Teaching all the stake holders on these matters will make sure that they have a clear knowledge of how to minimize the detriment that has continued to eat away our environment.

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Construction And The Environment - Effects On Water

In this regard, we will consider the following types of water;

· Surface water: this refers to water appearing on the surface of earth. Examples here include rivers, lakes, oceans, swamps and so forth.

· Ground water: this refers to water appearing in the ground, also referred to as sub-surface water. It is usually contained in rocks known as aquifers and forms a level commonly known as water table. Water table is usually an intermittent and rises or falls depending on the amount available in the feeder for instance through percolation.

· Precipitation: this refers to the various forms in which water appearing in the atmosphere is availed to the ground. It takes the form of rainfall, dew, hail storms and the like.

A number of common construction activities can hamper the normal patterns of the said forms of water, consequently interfering with the normal form of nature. The following are ways in which this happens;

· Sinking wells for drawing water results to a lowered water table level. This, for example, strains the vegetation drawing water from the same, hampering their growth.

· Building extensive hard surfaces reduces the amount of water percolating into the ground, depriving it of subsurface water and resulting to a lowered water table.

· Clearing extensive tracts of land for construction activities reduces the levels of moisture in the atmosphere and currently reducing the rate of precipitation expected.

· Construction of water bodies like reservoirs deprives normal flow downstream, hampering the normal aquatic patterns. This could also lead to an increase in moisture in the air, resulting to more precipitation.

· Disposal of effluent from construction sites as well as built up areas into water bodies like rivers alter the ordinary quality of water, thereby changing the life supporting mechanism for aquatic life.

· Building of barriers like trenches will change the normal flow of surface run off, thereby altering the usual rates and patterns of percolation.

· Mass rain water harvesting whether in above ground or under ground tanks or reservoirs will also have similar effects.

While these are only examples, the truth is that construction has a remarkable effect on water patterns in the environment. This effect increases with increase in magnitude of construction work being undertaken as well as ignorance in limitative measures possible. It should therefore be a number one priority in every envisaged project to plan for ways of reducing tendencies of altering water patterns in our environment, for this directly affects the environment and all that it carries with it.

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Construction And The Environment - Effects On Vegetation

Vegetation is among the clearest indicator of life in our environment (probably second to the animals). It is also a key pillar in the environmental dynamics especially the weather. Vegetation takes different forms and shapes and vary from one type of environment to the other. Construction activities affect vegetation in the following ways;

· Construction materials. Construction has drawn a lot from natural vegetation in the following forms;

o Timber: this is the most common material in construction, since time immemorial. This could either be used in its raw form for example in posts or in machined timber for example tongued and grooved panels for ceiling construction. Frames for structural work like roofing and timber walls are also a very common use of wood. Other machined forms, for example plywood are also very common in construction. The tricky thing with timber for construction is that the preferred timber comes from hardwoods, which are rare, hard to breed and take a long time to mature.

o Roof covering: reeds and such vegetation have for long been used in the form of thatch for roofing, mainly in informal settlements but also in motels and hotels, especially beach resorts.

o Furniture: Timber furniture has for long been the most preferred in houses. This has a big impact on trees as most are purely out of wood and especially hardwoods which are very hard to come by as previously explained.

· Clearance for settlements: large forests and other such vegetation's have been cleared for settlement activities, whether for purely construction work or in combination with other activities like farming.

· Importation of vegetation and soils: introduction of alien plants, especially for landscaping compounds also affects the environment by changing things like normal photosynthesis activities by normal plants. Importation of soils will also lead to the support of different kinds of vegetation, especially where this is supplemented with irrigation.

· Dumping of material: The disposal of material, whether waste or excess spoil, introduces a new formation on which new forms of vegetation are most likely to grow. This may also lead the death of the existing vegetation.

· Dewatering of land: This is common in swampy lands and is mostly done to ensure good compaction of earth.

Following these examples, it is clear to see just how extensively the activities of construction have impacted on vegetation and by extension, on our fragile environment. It is very important to ensure that whatever technologies that are adopted in construction projects are environmental friendly, by reducing impacts to the lowest possible levels.

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Going Green - Construction, Which the Environment Loves!

Sustainable building, green building, green construction or simply "going green" is a concept about eco-friendly construction. It involves the application of practices and technologies that are environmental friendly, right from the construction, to occupancy, maintenance, renovation and finally demolition. This concept first started rising in the '70s when concerns regarding harmful impacts of construction industry on environment, and its resources, started growing.

Although no international agreement is available regarding carbon reduction and eco-friendly construction, there are organizations present that are working for the sustainability of natural resources, toxic reduction, recycling, waste reduction and application of energy efficient practices etc, such as EPA in the US. The EPA requires the construction industry to design and build buildings with eco-friendly materials and methods. This is not the only reason why construction industry has started following green trends. Many environmental-concerned companies and individuals have started emphasizing on green building, when doing a new construction or renovation project in their homes, commercial properties or work places. This is a very good sign because it educates and encourages the construction industry to work towards developing new sustainable building techniques. The need of going green gets more imminent as a recent study shows that the Ozone layer had depleted by 40%, which is alarming.

The basic principles of sustainable building in new construction projects and retrofitted properties include:

· Efficient use of land, water, energy and other resources.
· Improving the health of everyone living in a building.
· Providing clean environment to increase employees' performance.
· Reducing pollution and other waste emission in the environment.
· Educating public about the need and merits of green building.
· Using local materials and manpower so as to avoid transportation cost of these brought from other towns and areas.

Not only it is important to derive methods for going green, it is equally important to use the present resources in an intelligent and efficient way.

Water Efficiency:

Two-third of the Earth consists of water, not all of it readily usable. It takes a lot of work and energy to make water usable which means there's a shortage of water and therefore, we need to use it efficiently. A popular way of maintaining the quality of water and reducing its usage is to use dual plumbing system, which recycles the water with every flush of the toilet. Low-flow showerheads and low-flush toilets can also increase water efficiency during the life cycle of a building.

Energy Efficiency:

There are a lot of ways to use energy efficiently. Few simple methods are to use light paint colors on the exterior and interior of the building. The exterior light colors will reflect sunrays and as a result the interior of the building will remain cool reducing the need of air conditioners and such. Interior light colors will also help reflect the natural light, which will reduce the cost and need of electric lighting. Modern insulation systems can also be installed in walls and floors to use the energy efficiently. Building can be designed with passive solar building ways that uses windows and walls to help shade the property in summers and provide natural light in the winters. Other ways to use energy efficiently are solar power, hydropower and wind power etc.

Material Efficiency:

Using material that are recyclable and re-usable is an important part of sustainable building. It involves using natural materials such as straw bale, clay and bamboo for the construction or renovation of the building.

Waste Reduction:

Compost bins are a great way to reduce waste emission by the occupants or work force in a building. Waste reduction can also be achieved by recycling the waste into fertilizers. Use of water instead of paper towels can also reduce waste going in the landfills. Some highly sophisticated waste reduction techniques can also be applied, but they may be a little costly.

We only have planet Earth to live on. We don't have any other place to go. We need to keep earth and our environment safe and healthy, and Earth's natural resources sufficient for our generations to come. We've already harmed the Earth enough. Now is the time to go green.

Ali Bhutta of AB Contractors NY, a leading General Contractors firm in New York City, New York is an expert on all related market trends and can help you with every step of your construction project.

Building Green Home Real Estate Helps More Than Just The Environment

"Going green" is seemingly the latest theme of the day.

A trend that can be seen in everything from the newest cleaning solutions on the market to the invention of solar paneled roofs, how to make a green home is central to the design schemes utilized by today's architects.

What is the purpose behind building green living homes?

Simply stated, green energy efficient homes contribute to the cause of saving the planet.

And besides the energy saving aspect, building a green home changes the overall affordability of owning real estate.

For example, those who live in energy friendly homes do not have the need for the general utility set-ups (such as electricity) that are required for residents of non-green communities. And because the demand for these utilities becomes lower as a result of green neighborhoods, the prices go down for everyone who still has to rely on other methods for their power.

In addition, the construction costs for green built homes are often much less than what would be spent on a creating something conventional - a fact that also gives green residences a better chance at being approved for a building permit.

Another advantage of green home real estate is that it provides a way to maintain the environment so that the occurrences of detrimental atmospheric events have a chance at slowing down. As a matter of fact, government studies have shown that if all buildings in the United States followed the standards set by green construction, the end result would be a 10% decrease in the emissions that create global warming.

A measured 70% reduction in waste from using green materials for construction is a further plus of modern green homes.

This waste reduction is possible because much of the time the materials used in green friendly homes are recycled - a process which also has the advantage of helping to decrease the overall cost of the project. And, green homes are further able to add to the savings factor because these types of structures have a much longer life span than those homes constructed by non-green methods.

What are some of the green building techniques used to turn a home into an environmentally friendly residence?

A simple way to start on the path to building a green home is by using certain kinds of wood when designing the home's floors. One such wood that meets the standards of green construction is bamboo.

Not only is bamboo unusually durable, but the rate at which it is able to replenish itself (between five and ten years) is a much less amount of time than the fifty to one hundred years of maturation time on other woods selected for flooring purposes.

The paints used on the inside and outside of the home also make a difference as to whether or not said home can be called "green."

Paints of the non-green variety contain toxic metals, solvents and harmful VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) that are damaging when inhaled by those performing the painting task. Paints of this kind also create by-products such as more smog and pollution that are added to the atmosphere.

Using zero or low-VOC paint is a green building technique that protects the occupants of the home while also helping to clean up the environment at the same time.

Low or zero-VOC paints do not contain the toxins found in the paints from the past, nor do these types of paints dry and still continue to release their dangerous substances into the air.

The manner in which a garden is kept is another qualifying factor when it comes to whether or not a home can be considered a green friendly residence.

For example, buying simple hand tools for one's gardening needs (instead of purchasing items that run on gasoline or electric power) helps to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that escape into the air, while giving the user a bit of exercise at the same time.

Raking and sweeping leaves and other yard debris instead of using a leaf blower to do the job is a second way to go green in the garden - as leaf blowers operate on gasoline and thus release those carbon dioxide emissions that are best avoided when possible.

Best of all, choosing not to rake the leaves and instead using them to surround the garden's plants is one way to create a natural mulch - and pairing these leaves with used coffee grounds will cause an extraordinarily lush garden to bloom.

Using non-toxic pesticides to make insects and other animals stay away from the garden is another method aimed toward making the environment a more green place to co-exist. It can be as easy as placing earthworms and ladybugs into the foliage to keep these pests away.

And, toxin-free pesticides also have the advantage of keeping the water supply in a cleaner state, as there is no risk of the run-off from dangerous gardening chemicals contaminating the water if said chemicals are not being used.

Whether it is the actual materials used for construction of the home or the tools meant for the garden, there are many ways to incorporate green techniques to make for a much healthier place to co-exist.

Buying a home and selling a home are two of the most important milestones ever experienced by many during their lifetimes. Both the home selling process and home buying process can prove to be complicated. Therefore, hiring a real estate agent is the way to go.

I specialize in Lakewood, California homes. And because I grew up in the area, I am therefore a local real estate agent who is very familiar with the community and its associated amenities.

If you are looking to buy or sell property in Lakewood or even Long Beach, contact me today so together we can find your dream home.

Steel buildings respectful of the environment for environmental purposes

There are many reasons that some people choose to building steel for the purpose of the environment. This type of building is much more environmentally friendly than the structures of the past. The real nature of the eco - minerals that are used, all the way to the actual construction process, these structures are kind to the planet. This article will be explaining this much more detail.

The real nature of the ores used in these structures is one of the factors that contribute to making these so environmentally friendly structures. These minerals can be melted and reused for other purposes if a building has to every being disassembled. Any type of recycling as it is great for the planet, especially when one considers that the materials may be recycled to another similar building.

Many old structures of the past have always been taken from materials of brick and wood. The bad thing about these materials is that they wind up in a landfill if the building is each dismantled. Garbage of the average consumer is enough of a problem; having the entirety of a wind in such building makes it only fills the worse problem.

The type of insulation that is generally applied to these structures is more environmentally friendly solutions for isolation of the past. Many structures of glass fibre insulation used past. The processes involved in the creation and transport of glass fibre are all very hard on the environment. A reflective simple and light weight material is used for the isolation of the type of building discussed here.

The fact that these structures are built much faster lends itself also to them being a more environmentally friendly option. Any person who is even vaguely familiar with the process of construction may already know that this process is harmful to the environment. Much energy is being burned by the many parties involved, and this occurs until the process is completely finished.

Many materials which are used to create these structures were prefabricated in loans to go to pieces by the company that sells the. Just think of all the materials to be cut on a traditional job site. Traditional construction sites are typically on litter left on the materials which lie. When they are thrown, they wind up in a fill.

It is also very important for people to consider how much more cost effective solutions are compared to traditional structures. It never hurts to save a little money while being friendly with the environment. This nature cost-effective eco - the nature of these structures is likely to make the wave of the future. This starts to happen already.

Now, the reader should be aware of the many reasons that some people choose buildings steel for environmental reasons. It is very difficult to find a structure which is also friendly to the Earth this type. The fact that they go up much more quickly and do not cost almost as much is also very attractive for many people.

What's better tha a steel made toro buildings? They are perfect for work, storage, Office, livestock and so much more. steel buildings cover all uses, sizes and finishes.