Sustainable construction materials and methods are increasingly gaining momentum as the industry seeks to reduce its environmental impact. Australia is experiencing extreme heat, heavy rainfall, coastal inundation, bushfires and other extreme weather events due to climate change. Once in a lifetime events are becoming more regular. All these extreme events require engineers to design and construct resilient infrastructure assets that are durable using sustainable construction practices for the future.
The construction, maintenance and operation of infrastructure assets account for very large quantities of materials which are extracted, processed, used and then discarded. Engineers can influence the use of sustainable materials for the life cycle management of infrastructure assets to conserve and preserve our natural resources and to provide a safe and healthy environment for communities. NATSPEC provides various resources like TECHreports and TECHnotes that provide guidance on specifying sustainable materials and methods of construction at every stage of the asset life cycle. NATSPEC specifications include various sustainable construction practices embedded in our worksections e.g. energy efficiency requirements, use of sustainable materials, rainwater harvesting, use of solar panels and requirements for getting certifications for Green Star and NABERS.
Sustainable concepts like energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, use of materials with low VOC emissions, CLT, rammed earth, recycled materials like crushed concrete, materials with recycled content like reclaimed asphalt, crushed glass, crumb rubber are incorporated so that the specifiers can make informed decisions to design, construct and maintain sustainable built environment.
This presentation will highlight how NATSPEC documentation can assist with the following: