Sustainable Construction module (CE50004)

Sustainable construction is the utilisation of recyclable and renewable materials in construction projects with the aim of maximising energy conservation and reducing waste production.

This module explores the ways in which the process of construction can impact the environment, how to measure this impact, and how impacts can be reduced or avoided entirely.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• learn how the manufacture of civil engineering materials influence resource use, climate change, and other aspects of sustainability
• explore approaches to measuring sustainability
• learn about the stages of conducting an environmental impact assessment (EIA)
• learn how life-cycle analysis (LCA) can be used to evaluate the environmental impact of materials and projects
• examine the pros and cons of different construction technologies and renewable energies

By the end of module, you will be able to:

• employ a number of techniques used during EIA and LCA
• evaluate the claims of construction product manufacturers
• conduct a project material option appraisal
• calculate the embodied carbon of a civil engineering project
• describe how impacts can be reduced through analysis using EIA and LCA

Assignments / assessment

• Coursework and online quizzes (40%)
• Exam (60%)

Teaching methods / timetable

• Lectures
  • in-person
  • formatted as lecture/tutorial hybrid sessions
  • supported with additional videos