Sustainable Design and Construction for Industrial Construction: A Primer

The increasing importance of sustainable development is making it imperative for organizations in heavy industry to increase their understanding of the topic and include environmental and social considerations in the construction of capital projects. This primer was written for the following sectors of the industrial construction industry: manufacturing, mining, mineral and metals, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, pulp and paper, power, and utilities. Produced by Research Team (RT) 250, it provides information on sustainable development practices to help firms evaluate the sustainability of projects. A companion implementation resource (IR 250-3) contains four tools to help evaluate sustainability: 1) a Checklist for Sustainable Construction Job Sites, 2) a Quick Start Guide, 3) Maturity Models, and 4) an Industrial Sustainability Index Metric (ISIM).

The primer also includes information on the forces that are driving the implementation of sustainability practices including government regulations and international treaties. It also discusses economic models that can be used for life cycle cost assessments. The primer presents the results of the RT 250 survey of the techniques and processes that industrial construction firms are using to incorporate sustainability practices into their firms. Detailed information on the survey results is provided in the team’s research report (RR 250-11).

In addition to addressing the emergence of sustainability as a global policy issue, this primer discusses regulatory issues, alternative sustainable materials and processes, and the sustainability issues that are being addressed outside the United States. It also examines the mitigation strategies that are being used to try to prevent the environmental consequences of construction operations from front end planning through facility end of life.