Papers by Frank O P O K U Dankwah
The construction industry by virtue of its size is one of the major users of energy, material res... more The construction industry by virtue of its size is one of the major users of energy, material resources and water. Also construction activities are responsible for generation of huge tons of waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, (UNEP, 2003) has announced that in quest to limit the effects of building developments on our natural environment now and in the near future, existing building practices should change. In this chapter, I locate good representation of literature to discuss the underlining concepts of Sustainable Building Technologies, its embodiment and characteristics. The chapter reviewed thirty one (31) of the world's most renowned literature on Sustainable Building Technologies. It reviews environmental assessment strategies being used as of now and endeavor to build up a motivation for future research in sustainable construction. Further discussions are also made on the current trends in sustainable Building Technologies. To end the chapter, common issues, barriers and challenges and strategies for promoting effective utilization of sustainable construction practices are adequately addressed. The document also begins to suggest necessary actions defined by the various scholars in the creation of a better built environment with minimal negative impacts on the environment. The chapter concludes by summarizing all literature that was reviewed for the purpose of assessing the sustainability features of buildings. 2.2 EMERGENCE AND EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABILITY Despite the fact that the idea of 'sustainability' got utmost consideration in the center portion of the twentieth (20th) century, the thought had engendered appropriate from the medieval period. Van Zon (2002) calls attention to that the interest for raw materials and its effect on the earth have been a constant issue all through mankind's history. Earlier in ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek and Roman human advancements, ecological issues, for example,
Drafts by Frank O P O K U Dankwah
Over the years, the building industry has been known to contribute significantly to the GDPs of v... more Over the years, the building industry has been known to contribute significantly to the GDPs of various countries. It is however key to realize that building operations and construction activities in general cause great damage to the environment, as well natural resource depletion. Accordingly, studies on the negative effects of buildings operations and construction activities on people and their environment identify the following as the main damages caused by the building industry: inefficient water and energy use with associated long-term costs, excessive raw material consumption and waste generation as well as sick building syndrome resulting in illnesses and low productivity of occupants. Due to the potential of the building industry to cause negative effects to people and their environment, it has become extremely important to build sustainably. Sustainable buildings can possibly limit this negative effect on the environment and render to building occupants health and well being related advantages. The research was a descriptive case study of KNUST institutional buildings which took an up-close look at the Great Hall and Central Classroom Block (CCB) auditoriums. Primarily, it was carried out to examine the sustainability features of these buildings, in order to provide a basis to make improvement and also to ensure that new buildings are constructed to do less harm to the environment. A sustainable building features checklist comprised of 60 sustainability indicators was formulated from the literature review. This checklist filled as an observational guide with reference to which the sustainability features of the buildings were assessed. Throughout the study, it was revealed that the buildings did not incorporate key sustainability features as well as management policies. Towards the end of the paper, essential measures to ensure the incorporation of satisfactory levels of sustainability features into the buildings are recommended.
Uploads
Papers by Frank O P O K U Dankwah
Drafts by Frank O P O K U Dankwah