Essay: Strategies For Sustainable Construction Industry Implementation.

Emerging Challenges in Construction Industry

Discuss about the Conflict Translates Environmental and Social Risk.

Water, sand, wood, and energy are some of the major natural resources used in the construction industry (Bringezu, 2015). With so much waste from construction projects and the increased number of construction works, how long will the natural resources last? What about the increasing population and the need for more housing to meet this need? Who will bring a balance between rural and urban development projects? Is there a formula for replacing the land used for development works? What happens when there is no more land for building residential and commercial houses? Recent research highlights the use of billions of tonnes of raw materials for building and construction (Labrincha & Pachero- Torgal, 2013). Industry specific sustainability is a challenge because each sector contends with different challenges. In the construction industry, this is a worrying trend because of the resource factors. The construction process is continuous and it involves safety measures, economic viability and sustainability. Maximization of resources, minimization of wastage, reduced costs and controlled consumption are some of the factors influencing sustainability in this industry. Growing concerns about the environmental impact of processes in the construction industry raise questions about the implementation strategies. An effective process captures the use of renewable resources, environmental protection and competitiveness. Project delivery calls for stakeholder involvement, sustainable approaches and techniques. Related to construction activities eco-friendly construction activities involve strategies such as waste management, energy efficiency, and ethical obligations. This proposal looks at implementation strategies for the construction industry with recommendations for the industry.

Hussin, et al (2013) points out that the construction industry is one of the key economic pillars in an economy. However, continous climate change factors bring to mind the need for sustainable practices in the industry. Research on traditional practices in building and construction recommends solutions against climate change effects such as greenhouse emissions (Robichaud & Anantatmula, 2008). Countries invest in policy changes in order to accommodate environmental challenges. However, do the solutions work? Is there a long-term response mechanism for sustainability challenges in the construction industry? The impact of construction activities on the environment is the driving force behind policy changes.

From the figure below, it is clear that policies are responses to environmental hazards and conflict areas. The frequent use of raw materials in building projects and landscape changes made by construction designs puts pressure on the natural environment. Driven by production and consumption, these activities present hazards in form of climate change, landscape and resource depletion. Scurrah, et al ( 2014) discusses resource extraction projecs in Australia and their impact on the environment, economy and social sector. He points out that conflict arises in the construction industry because of these processes which contribute to value erosion.

Cost Factor in Sustainable Practices

Research on the challenges of implementing sustainable practices identifies the cost factor (Hussin, et al., 2013, p. 16). The cost overrun in global building and construction projects is high. Private and public costs are hefty and feature cost of material and effective processes. Making changes on the project design to suit the sustainability plan takes time and money. The fluctuation of costs also worry contractors and financiers. The construction industry spends a lot on ecofriendly resources. Using sustainable approaches calls for energy efficient installations, recycling and reuse technology. This is bound to cost more in terms of heating, lighting and ventilation. The local government focuses on policies that control the use of natural resources. However economic viability is about the cost and benefit factors. Sustainable construction based on solution against resource depletion an affordable concept that gives principles of sustainability. Policies should provide concrete solutions for the present and in the long term. Industries are important actors in the sustainability challenge. Long-term trends indicate the need for resilience in the human-environmental systems. At the center is the socio-ecological challenge, which leads to social and environmental risks. Strategic implementation requires a plan that addresses corporate behavior such as land change.

This quickens the business actor’s to respond to climate change and community development with a focus on social benefits. Waste management is another challenge in construction because of the uncontrollable wastes from construction processes (Ludwig, et al., 2012). It leads to loss of resources, dumping of solid wastes in the environment and greenhouse emissions. Waste minimization through recycling also presents challenges because of the processes involved. The implementation of green processes requires an effective plan that is free from human and health hazards. In order to address waste management, it is necessary to tackle consumption rates. Urban centers have the greatest challenge based on the uncontrollable production of solid wastes from the construction projects (Beradi, 2012). Decision-making in this case involves the use of principles of sustainability in construction. These are the environment, social and economic aspects. The design of a quality based project highlights sustainability as risk reduction and value addition.

Planned projects have an effect on the environment. As a best practice in business, developers invest in research to discover the consequences and impact of their activities on the environment. In order to predict the problems it is important to design, implement and monitor projects with an environment focus. Commercial constructions such as business and residential units require techniques that may not be eco-friendly. Weighing the financial benefits against environmental benefits is a challenge. There is need to control the release of toxic substances to the environment. Sustainable construction is a major research agenda for the 21^st Century (Boons & Ldeke-Freund, 2013) Effective management of energy supplies is also essential. The maximization of sustainable energy through biological and renewable resources considers an impact on planned projects. The life cycle, internal, external and financial mechanisms determine the use of ecofriendly features in the local structure. The limited resources means a complex lifecycle for the energy, water and space resources. This calls for careful planning and implementation of performance projects. Project management professions from a multiple stakeholder team come together to draft solutions for the construction industry. In the construction industry, support comes from builders, engineers, government departments, architects, and land surveyors. Environmental factors affect the project impact (NSW Government, 2018).

Waste Management in Construction Industry

Current problems in the construction industry includes lack of standard methods that encourage accountability and professional practice. In Australia, changes in professional practice within the construction industry adhere to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation, which advocates for regular updates, social impact and consultation with stakeholders (Ali, 2013). That is why policies in the construction industry integrate resource factors and the environmental concerns. For example, a policy framework on the Australian industry features innovation and (Department of Industry and Science, 2014). In this framework, collaboration encourages innovation and improved solutions. Achievements in the Australian building and construction industry include annual savings in the industry, improved safety and streamlined management systems. Environmental approval under the department of industry is keen on efficiency with energy resources, strategic petroleum and greenhouse gas storage. Streamlining the process calls for approval of the decision making process based on compliance, competitiveness and economic entrepreneurship.

Challenges in the implementation of sustainability in the construction industry includes lack of commitment from the stakeholders. Lack of political goodwill hinders sustainability efforts. Although stakeholders cooperate in the identification of barriers, successful implementation is a challenge (Boons & Ldeke-Freund, 2013, p. 10). The building and construction fact sheet featuring operational, business and legal elements prioritizes building structures, engineering works (heavy and civil), land and sites. Professional service providers in the construction industry follow environmental conditions and take precaution on soil contamination, biodiversity, flood management, bushfire and waste management among others. Lack of motivation and commitment from business organizations hinders the implementation of effective solutions such as guiding principles (Akadiri, et al., 2012).

This research has an aim of analyzing the effectiveness of implementation strategies in the construction industry. It considers a stakeholder approach to sustainability within the research question, “How effective is the implementation strategy for sustainability in the construction industry?”

• To discover the major environmental concerns of the construction industry?
• To analyze the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability?
• To check the implementation strategy for effectiveness in sustainability practices for the construction industry
• To discover which firms are willing to adopt sustainability practices for the industry
• To understand the cost implications in the implementation of sustainability in the construction industry
• To view the focus for implementation strategies in the construction industry?

The study gives a summary of the implementation agenda for sustainability within an industry specific setting. It considers the failure of the traditional approaches in order to design modern implementation strategies with an integrated multidisciplinary approach. Tackling the social, economic and environmental solutions, this proposal looks at the significance of sustainability. The study uses theories of sustainability such as recycling, energy efficiency, green practices and environmental protection in order to manage the environmental effects. These are industry specific objectives on sustainability through implementation strategies.

The research collects quantitative data in order to check the relationship between sustainability and implementation strategies in the construction industry. Using statistical methods, this research picks methods according to relevancy and within the right area of analysis. It considers sustainable development as a complex issue that continues to advance across generation (Murtagh, et al., 2016). The research design is systematic and investigates issues based on the impact of a specific problem. In this case, it measures the practical approach that implementation strategies have on the construction industry. By using objectivity, this method proves that sustainability is a real problem with a cause and effect. It analyses the success of strategies used in developing its solutions through an experiment.

Sustainability and Environmental Impact

Inferential data from qualitative research provides an opportunity for data collection from literature. Part of the solutions includes an inquiry into the logical concepts of sustainability. This includes the guiding principles, techniques and standards of data collected (Ormston, et al., 2014). This is a logical approach to understanding the connection between philosophical notions and proven analysis of elements. This study collects data from 20 journals, and dissertations, drawing conclusion from the measurements, drawings and photographs. Analysis includes a study of government documents, policy documents and calculations. The integration of literature, empirical analysis and statistics is important in an industry-based research and comprises of a multivariate analysis (Jobson, 2012). The regression analysis features an independent variable in this case sustainability in the construction industry and dependent variables such as waste management, environmental protection and efficiency.

The study looks at the relationships between the varibles in order to make conclusions. This methodolgy establishes the causal relationships when forecasting about then implimentation strategies. Cataloguing presents an appropriate approach to do a background search through an anonatated bibliography (Terrill, 2016). A  artlist of article reviews gives a framework for the research. Designed as an interpretative research the study looks for meaning through critical analysis of ideologies and social construction. The identification of change involves a progressive process featuring systematic decisions in order to make conclusions. An analysis of data with secondary and primary research findings is applicable followed by a presentation of graphics, diagrams documentation and sources for evidence research.

A theoretical analysis of the environment and construction activity brings out strategies in the implimentation process. Stakeholder roles support the theoretical interpretation and its contexts to give the research a concrete meaning. Through a reflection of the critical views the research shapes and develops an understanding on the essence of strategic implimentation of sustainability with reference to the construction industry (Lewis, 2015). In order to produce certainity in the issues of sustainability the methodologies revolve aroud multiple objectives, processess, knowledge and investigations.The theory testing process generates a conceptual framework for research with the existing literature. Using a comparative analysis the research takes up sustainable development as a theme with a focus on confirming and critiquing various sources of data.

The research technique is a blend of descriptive data, evaluation of numerical trends and a summary of the integrated process. A synthesis of primary and secondary data gives insights on the on sustainable elements in the construction industry (Thomson, 2014). The validity of data depends on the interpretation as well as the data collection tools. The study looks at data collection from face-to-face interviews, observations, instrumentation and other measures. Investigations on the environmental management strategies highlights a combination of data to clarify assumptions and measures. This validation of data through consistency points out the case studies on the implementation of environment friendly approaches. Credibility is mandatory in the data collection process and it captures the interaction between elements of sustainability. The data highlights sustainability from the product perspective, construction industry and property management sectors (Sekaran & Bougie, 2016). The private and public sectors have similar strategies. An integrated project delivery system identifies projects in the construction within the national, regional and international setting.

Implementation Strategies for Sustainable Construction Industry

Land development and redevelopment strategies in the industry incorporate innovative strategies. Data collection on the rural and urban construction identifies the use of technology in the eco-friendly facilities, building designs and maintenance. Sustainability in the construction industry incorporates the interior implementation as well as the exterior environment. Green cities today encourage the creation of a green roof with a biosphere. Local authorities invest in creative parks and public space development (Santamouris, 2014). Smart cities are an initiative of ecofriendly initiatives and sustainable development. The system thinking approach connects the philosophical with the researched elements in order to support actions. A reliable solution devised through this process highlights the bigger picture through a network of knowledge. Action based research is important because it focuses on the contribution or impact (Bell, 2014). Environmental research seeks solutions to an impending crisis in for of climate change and its effects call for urgent solutions

Sustainability is an integration of interdisciplinary approaches to environmental matters. Different fields of knowledge participate in trying to find scientific solutions to lessons. This research is a bridge between different systems of knowledge (Getz & Page, 2016). Among the platforms in this research includes policy, management initiatives and scientific research. This study is an integration between social and natural science. It explores the practical solutions of sustainability in an interdisciplinary system for application in the construction industry. Sustainability models used improve learning by providing technical information for different solutions and situations. Stakeholders in the decision-making process expect interpretative solutions for policymaking and analyses.

Finally, the presentation of the data summarizes the content into how to reduce sustainability challenges in the construction industry. The paper delves deeper into what needs to be done as a solution against these challenges. A final report with findings is tabled with diagrams, charts and multi criteria decision tools. These are essential for the management of ideas, data, classification and comparative analysis. In addition, a PowerPoint presentation is used for a final outline of the research. A summary focusing on the variables includes natural resources in the construction industry, sustainable approaches and policy changes. In focus are measuring units featuring the energy use, equipment, reduced costs, reduced emissions, use of renewable resources and construction techniques that support environmental protection.

Conclusion

Expectation from the research, indicate that an outcome shall provide effective solutions to addresses the implementation of sustainability. This is critical as support for the construction industry. However, it is evident that the solutions emanate from a multidisciplinary level. Insights provided have concrete solutions designed for the stakeholder’s application. Through theoretical inferences, the study seeks to confirm and analyze previous research on the strategies that industries put forth when implementing sustainability. This method of analysis and findings will highlight the industry specific issues of sustainability without neglecting the general perspective. This research proposal gives a promise of an industry specific ability to manage environmental concerns through sustainability. Using research methodology this problem solving approach looks at different approaches using a multivariate approach. Sticking to its objectives, the research has an aim of measuring the effectiveness of sustainability in the construction industry. The analysis tries to answer a thesis through supporting ideas. From the analysis, it is arguable that sustainability is an industry based solution as well as an integrated approach for the present and future solutions. Institutions, individuals, and group networks in the industry engage in policy development networks in order to find innovative solutions from sustainability as a science. This method has advantages and challenges.

Stakeholder Engagement in Sustainability Implementation

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