Green Building Site: How to Get There?
Nowadays, as a construction contractor, it’s important to be environmentally conscious when it comes to setting up a site. Before, during and after a project, there are a series of actions to be taken to achieve an ecological and responsible construction site. Acting with the environment in mind has several advantages!
For a number of years now, Groupe Bellemare has been developing its environmental awareness in the construction industry. We manufacture ecofriendly products such as recycled glass. We offer rental of construction waste containers. We have a sorting and landfill centre. We produce biomass, and much more.
We’d like to share with you some of our top tips for green building sites.
What to Do Before Site Set-up
To get the project off to a good start, even before starting the work and having the entire team on site, important steps must be taken.
Keep the whole team informed about ecological efforts
Before starting the project planning, it is essential to inform the whole construction team. The goal is to set an eco-responsible construction site in motion.
To achieve this, all those involved in the process must make the necessary efforts in their respective roles. To do so, we recommend holding a project start-up meeting. This will ensure that employees and managers are well informed about the points to keep in mind throughout the project.
Before awarding a contract or placing an order, you should also find out what environmental standards are applied by your partners and suppliers. This will guide your final choices!
Site Organization
Before starting work, carry out an environmental site assessment to identify and mitigate potential ecological risks:
- Soil contaminated by past industrial activities
- Disturbance of protected species habitats
- Risk of water pollution nearby
- Noise and vibration generating audio pollution
- Air pollution from construction activities
- Protection of cultural heritage sites
In addition, preserve as many trees and vegetation as possible. Incorporate them into the site design and protect them during construction!
Choose Green Building Materials
Encourage the use of materials that are partially or entirely made from natural resources. Also, consider ordering local materials that require as little transportation as possible.
Use highly recycled materials, such as recycled steel, glass and concrete, to minimize demand on virgin resources.
Here are a few examples of sustainable building materials that are often used:
Bamboo: Bamboo is highly durable due to its rapid growth, renewability and strength. It can be used for a variety of applications, including flooring, wall panels and structural elements.
Recycled steel: The use of recycled steel in construction reduces demand for virgin steel production, conserves natural resources and minimizes the carbon emissions associated with steel manufacturing.
Recycled concrete: Incorporating recycled concrete aggregates into construction projects reduces waste sent to landfills.
Cross-laminated timber: This is a wood product manufactured by stacking layers of wood panels in alternating directions. It offers excellent structural strength, is renewable and has a lower carbon footprint than traditional building materials.
Cork: Cork is a durable material. It is commonly used as flooring, wall insulation and soundproofing material due to its renewable nature and natural insulating properties.
Recycled glass: The use of recycled glass in construction, as glass aggregate or as a component in concrete, helps reduce demand for new glass production and diverts waste from landfills.
Fly ash: Fly ash is a by-product of coal combustion and can be used as a supplementary cementitious material in concrete. By incorporating fly ash, we can reduce the need for cement and cut greenhouse gas emissions in construction projects.
Natural fibre composites: Natural fibre composites, such as those made from flax or hemp, are renewable alternatives to conventional synthetic fibres. They can be used in a variety of applications, including insulation, panels and reinforcement materials.
Low-VOC paints and coatings: Using paints and coatings with low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) helps improve indoor air quality by minimizing the release of harmful chemicals. These environmentally friendly options are available in a wide range of colours and finishes.
Take the time to make a good inventory of what you will need and make sure you reduce surplus to a minimum.
Containers and Waste Management
Construction waste management is a step that must be well planned from the beginning. Depending on the type of project, residues will have to be collected at the beginning, at the end or throughout the site operation.
To optimize materials recycling, it is important to know in advance which residues can be recycled and which waste must be sent to the landfill. Recycling of building materials is an essential aspect of a green construction site. If managed at the last minute, it can be confusing and poorly executed.
In fact, here’s an article we wrote on everything you need to know about renting the right construction waste container.
Rent the container you need from Groupe Bellemare.
Properly Equip Workers on Site
When it comes to choosing tools and machines, the key words to remember are speed and energy efficiency. If a more recent equipment allows a gain of speed while consuming less energy, it will be profitable in the long term even if more expensive initially!
Ensure that workers have access to the tools and machinery needed to complete the work in a timely manner to avoid unnecessarily prolonging the work.
Demolition Work
Most construction contractors favour demolition over deconstruction. Deconstruction is the dismantling of structures rather than their demolition. This is more labour intensive, but allows for much more material recovery. They can then be recycled or sold to generate a profit that offsets the cost of the extra labour required!
What to Do During Site Operation
Once planning is done and everyone involved in the process knows they’re going to work on a green site, the job isn’t quite done!
Store Waste as You Go
Although you have calculated the amount and types of construction waste you will generate, unforeseen circumstances may arise. Depending on the type of material to be stored, act quickly and store it directly in the right places. Do not leave anything lying around that could spill or get lost in nature.
To make it easier for workers, don’t hesitate to clearly identify spaces or containers where each type of material must be deposited.
Reminder of Ecological Measures
Depending on the project duration, you may need to provide some reminders about the environmental objectives and measures in place when operating a green worksite. Even if everything has been clearly specified before the project begins, memory has a way of fading, especially if employees aren’t yet familiar with the sometimes stricter measures.
Hold mid-project wrap-up meetings or add a few reminder-type posters on site!
Optimize Water and Electricity Use
These are some of the most important resources for operating a site, but misuse can become environmentally unfriendly.
Avoid unnecessary water and electricity costs. Sometimes the best way to do this is to assign someone to manage these resources. Weather is also a factor to consider in decision-making. For example, some tasks require more water on very hot days. It is better to do them when the weather is milder.
Energy costs can be optimized by properly planning operations that require increased energy input. For example, why use the crane twice when the job could have been done in one lift?
Using Solar Energy
Another effective way to reduce water and electricity costs is to use alternative energy! The installation of solar panels on the construction site provides a renewable energy source that has several possible uses. For example, the solar energy accumulated during the day can be used to charge batteries or to operate surveillance cameras on the site.
What to Do at the End of the Project
Now that the project is nearing completion and that environmental measures put in place have been respected, the work is almost done!
Sorting and Recycling of Construction Waste
Once the site is deconstructed, it is time to manage its remains. Take the materials stored in your containers to a certified sorting centre. It will collect all the recyclable materials.
End-of-Project Assessment
Since several people participated in the realization of the green site, the least we can do is recognize their efforts! During debriefing, highlight everyone’s good deeds, provide concrete figures that prove that the site was more ecofriendly than usual and suggest some improvements for next time.
Planting Trees According to the Site’s Carbon Footprint
The best way to mitigate the environmental impact of your construction site is to give back to the land! Why not set aside a percentage of your profits for this purpose?
Several Canadian non-profit organizations have a tree-planting mission. Partnerships or donations to such organizations help improve the situation.
Great Competitive Edge
In a world where respect for the environment is an increasingly important issue, a construction company that knows how to distinguish itself by developing ecological worksites has a clear edge over its competitors.
Take advantage of this distinction to obtain more contracts and to work with clients who also have our planet at heart.
TOGETHER, LET’S PROTECT THE PLANET
Setting up an environmentally friendly construction site requires a comprehensive approach that integrates site planning, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, green materials and much more.
By implementing the strategies and tips described in this article, construction professionals can contribute to a greener future by reducing environmental impacts, conserving resources and preserving natural ecosystems.
For additional advice on green building sites, for suggestions or to obtain green building materials or any other service offered by Groupe Bellemare, contact us!
