CE4922 – Sustainable Development

in Civil Engineering

I NTRODUCTION TO
S USTAINABILITY
 A BOUT THE DELIVERY

 Lectures- 2hrs /week

 Tutorial – 1 hr
 Mini Project –Individual
 Parallel documents-
 Module guide
 PD1 for assessment brief and
details.
 L EARNING O UTCOMES
Learning Outcomes Level of
POs Thinking
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Comprehension
Compare the basic social,
cultural, environmental, and
LO1 global considerations required for H L H M M H M H H
sustainable development in civil
engineering practices

Application
Select and apply the tools
available for achieving sustainable
LO2 H L H M M H H H H
development in civil engineering
practices

Application,
Design and formulate civil Synthesis
engineering projects by applying
LO3 H M H M M H H H H
the principles of sustainable
development

Average H M H M M H H H H
 ATTRIBUTES OF AN ENGINEERING GRADUATE
 PO1: Demonstrate broad knowledge of engagement with the fundamental practices and
principles that underpin Civil Engineering

 PO2: Think creatively and analytically to respond to emerging professional and entrepreneurial
opportunities in Civil Engineering

 PO3: Apply research skills and related information to investigate, solve and design complex
problems in civil Engineering

 PO4: Design, Select and Apply, technological knowledge, skills and modern tools for sustainable
civil Engineering Practice

 PO5: Demonstrate broad knowledge of financial management, risk assessment and business
practices

 PO6: Engage in continuous self-motivated learning and development of knowledge and skills as a
professional engineer, contributing to the profession and beyond

 PO7: Communicate effectively with both engineering and non-engineering stakeholders

 PO8: Function effectively within a typical multidisciplinary and multi-cultural engineering design
team as a team member, manager or team leader, recognizing health, safety and environmental
issues

 PO9: Displaying of professional behaviour and ethical practice in the context of engineering
projects and community engagement


 M ODULE CONTENT

 1. Introduction to sustainable development

Introduction to medium related environmental problems.
Material and energy flow in the environment and processes.
Ecosystems, ecology and environmental impact assessment.
Social aspects of environment and environmental ethics.
Past policies and consequences on technological innovations and
challenges they posed, and concept of sustainability.
2. Tools applied in achieving sustainability and case studies in civil
engineering.
Industrial ecology.
Social impact assessment.
Cumulative impact assessment.
 C ONTI …

 3. Non-technical tools:

 Regulatory, economic, and policy tools.

 3. Case studies in Civil Engineering:

 City planning

 Water planning

 Concept of sustainable building

 graduate 2Levelof
attributes to Thinking
SUBMISSIO

WEIGHTING
DESCRI ASSESSMENT be covered
LO1 LO2 LO3 N
PTION DESCRIPTION
WEEK

An open book PO1-9 Comprehe

examination nsion and
paper for a Applicatio
Mid  30% Week 7
CA term  duration of n
(55%)
one hour

A report and a PO1-9 Comprehe

presentation nsion,
upon the Applicatio
Assign completion of n,
ment As per the a group synthesis
(term    25% unit study project. and
project) calendar reference PD1 evaluation

End An open book PO1-9 Comprehe

Semest examination nsion,
er paper for a Applicatio
(45%) End duration of n and
term two hours synthesis
examin    45% Week 16
ation
 L EVELS OF THINKING ACCORDING TO B LOOMS
TAXONOMY
 Knowledge-Recall of something encountered before but without
having to change it, use it or understand it; facts.
 Comprehension-Understanding the knowledge that has been
acquired without needing to relate it to other information.
 Application-Use of a learned concept to resolve some situation or
solve a new problem in an appropriate way.
 Analysis-Taking something learned apart into separate
components for purposes of thinking about the parts and how
they fit together.
 Synthesis-Generating or creating something different by
assembling or connecting ideas in a way that makes a whole.
 Evaluation-Looking at the particular value of materials,
information or methods in characterizing the whole.
 A SSESSMENT

 Mid Term (30%):

 Held in Week 6 on material from weeks 1-5

 Portfolio (25%):
Individual

 Final Exam (45%):

 on material from (weeks 7-12)
Description Hours
Attendance
13 weeks x 3 hours/week lecture time 39
-- weeks x 2 hour/week tutorial/workshop time -
--weeks x 2 hours/week laboratory time -
Independent work
Preparatory work eg. Checking courseweb, revising class work, 30
working out tutorials and reading text books etc.
15 weeks x 2 hours/week
Total hours for in class engagement and supplementary study hours 69
Assessments
Preparation of laboratory report/project reports 75
15 weeks x 5 hours/week
Mid semester examination 1 hour in class examination 01
End semester examination 02 hours in class examination 02
Other work
Any remaining time would be used for preparation activities 03
Total number of hours for the module 150
U SEFUL T EXTS
 A BOUT THE COURSE

 Sustainable developments in civil

engineering introduces the concepts of
sustainability within civil engineering
context, technical tools and case studies
available to implement sustainable
development practices.
 The knowledge gained in this module
will be useful for civil engineers to
design and build civil engineering
systems in a sustainable manner.
 S USTAINABILITY IN

 Building sector

 Water sector

 Transportation sector
 C ONTENT: T HIS S ESSION

 Introduction to the Sustainability Debate

 Demand, Growth & Analysis
 Trends and Barriers
 Key Terms & Definitions including circular
economy
 D AYS CHALLENGE

 What is the background for sustainability debate

 Why is it important to build for circular economy

S USTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

 development that meets the

needs of the present without
compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their
own needs

United Nations World Commission on Environment and

Development, Brundtland report 1987, p43)
 W HO IS A CIVIL ENGINEER

 Civil engineering is a professional

engineering discipline that deals with the design,
construction, and maintenance of the physical
and naturally built environment, including works
like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and
buildings.[1][2][3] Civil engineering is the second-
oldest engineering discipline after military
engineering,[4] and it is defined to distinguish
non-military engineering from military
engineering.
Wikipedia
C IVIL E NGINEERING
Sustainable construction:
 principles of sustainable development applied to full
construction cycle: from extraction, processing of
raw materials, through planning, design,
construction of buildings and infrastructure, until
their final deconstruction and management of
resultant waste
 a holistic process aiming to restore, maintain
harmony between the natural & built environments
while creating settlements that affirm human dignity
and encourage economic equity
Du Plessis
 TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY
 Environmental, social and economical
considerations are incorporated into all aspects
of construction.
 Construction decision-making process
supports actions to minimize environmental
impact, resource extraction, use of energy,
water, materials, & land, prefers renewable
resources over non-renewables.
 Construction process seeks to maintain and
restore ecological diversity.
 W HY S USTAINABLE
C ONSTRUCTION ?

 Social progress, which recognises the needs

of everyone

 Effective protection of the environment

 Prudent use of natural resources
 Maintenance of high and stable levels of
economic growth and employment
 K EY C HALLENGES

 Lack of understanding of ecological impact of

construction activities
 Lack of early rapid environmental assessment
 Use of hazardous materials
 Special interests - not prioritizing sustainable
construction
 Disregard for the local population
 Poor planning by project managers
 Others?
 B ROAD A REAS OF
A PPLICATION
 Sustainable Sites

 Energy and Atmosphere

 Indoor Environmental Quality

 Water Efficiency

 Materials and Resources

 P OPULATION

Will Earth’s capacity be exceeded?

L IMITS TO GROWTH 1972

Will the future generations have enough?

ATMOSPHERIC CO 2
S USTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

 development that meets the

needs of the present without
compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their
own needs

United Nations World Commission on Environment and

Development, Brundtland report 1987, p43)
 S USTAINABILITY AND CIVIL
ENGINEERING

Make a list of your own civil engineering concerns

 S USTAINABILITY AND M RS
B RUNDTLAND
 Formally known as the World Commission on Environment and
Development (WCED), the mission of Brundtland Commission is to unite
countries to pursue sustainable development together.

 The Brundtland Commission officially dissolved in December 1987 after

releasing Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, in
October 1987, a document which coined, and defined the meaning of the
term "Sustainable Development".

 The organization Center for Our Common Future was started in April 1988
to take the place of the Commission.
 What is the take-home message from the
following video?
 R EINDEERS IN S T M ATHEWS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS- I SLAND
jZp_cvqY
P OPULATION
Capacity
P OPULATION IN J APAN
http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/sri-lanka-population-pyramid
W ORLD P OPULATION
 P OPULATION

 What kind of a population would it follow?

 Discuss

 Your concerns as civil engineers for the next 30

years?

 Population-how it is changing
 S USTAINABILITY I MPACT

I=P x A x T
 Population (P),
 Affluence (A)
 Technology (T)
 W HAT ARE COMMONS

 Its something shared and open to all

 Air

 Water

 Earth Resources
C OMMONS S TORY
T RAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
H OW TO AVOID TO C
 S USTAINABILITY AND
S USTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
S USTAINABILITY
 WAYS OF ACHIEVING
SUSTAINABILITY

 Moving towards Circular economy

 D EFINING THE C IRCULAR
E CONOMY
 A close loop of material flow in an economy,
based on a circular concept was introduced by
Pearce and Turner in 1990

 “A circular economy is designed to efficiently

recirculate the raw material and used to
produce goods through
o Product-life extension;
o Eco-design;
o Long-life goods;
o Reconditioning, reuse activities;
o Renting service system instead of owning
product;
o Waste prevention;
o Industrial Symbiosis.
Adapted from Sempels and Hoffmann (2013)

 Circular economy focuses on three objectives; economy (accelerate growth), social (job
creation and employment) and environment (reduce pollution and GHG emission).
 F ROM C RADLE - TO -G RAVE TO
C RADLE TO C RADLE (C2C)

OurDispos
growth model needs to change from linear flows of materials.
Take Make Cradle-to-cradle is
e
about material
Open Loop
management:
• Design product that’s not harmful
Resources are extracted, shaped into
to health and environment and
products, sold and eventually disposed
does not produce waste
in a grave, usually a landfill or
• Greening the global supply chain
incinerator – p. 27, Peter Keler, 1922 (Bauhaus)
Adding value.
 W HAT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN L INEAR AND C IRCULAR E CONOMY
A PPROACH AS DESCRIBED IN THE VIDEO ?
 D RIVERS TO C IRCULAR E CONOMY

Adopting circular models creates opportunities for business (new business

model)
 The circular approach can potentially reduce an organizations
environmental footprint by 85%
 Companies when shift their operations from a linear model to a
circular model, can enjoy benefits:
o Minimize the use of inputs and eliminate waste and pollution
o Maximize the value created at each stage; add profitability
o Manage flows of bio-based resources from and back into the biosphere, and
recover and retain flows of non-renewable resources in closed loops
o Establish mutually beneficial relationships between companies within each
circular (value) chain: eco industrial cluster
o Create a goodwill/green image.
S UCCESSES STORIES
Write the take-home message
 H OW TO B ECOME A G REEN B USINESS IN A
C IRCULAR E CONOMY ?

 Improving Processes ( Cleaner Production)

 Improving Design ( Design for Sustainability)
 Improving Supply chains
 Reverse Logistics ( take-back mechanism)
 Functional Economy ( Rent or Lease than Sell the products)
 Industrial Ecology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Tszs48xCI
 S TATUS CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE
INDUSTRY - SHARE OF RESOURCES USED
WORLD WIDE

http://www.buildandconnect.eu/wp-
content/uploads/2017/07/maximilien-ast.pdf
K ALUNDBORG I NDUSTRIAL
S YMBIOSIS
 T UTORIAL :

 Read the document on ‘circular economy’

 file:///D:/My%20Documents/a-SLIIT-new/lectures/UGC-
CURTIN/YEAR%204/UGC%20-yr%204/CE4922-
Sustainable%20devep%20in%20civil%20eng%20-
%202019/reading%20material/circular%20economy%20in%20construction.pdf

 discuss:
 Are there any key issues preventing global
sustainability? If so, what are the most
significant?
 How will your expected career(s) offer you a
chance to engage in the sustainability debate?
 What do you need to know in order to use the
sustainability issue to your competitive
advantage?

 Be prepared to present your arguments!