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Sustainable Construction Management: History
Please note this is an old version of this entry, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Contributor: Eng Editorial Office

Sustainable construction management is the integrated planning, coordination, and control of construction project resources, materials, processes, and supply chains to achieve project objectives while reducing environmental impacts and addressing social and economic considerations throughout the life cycle of the built asset [1][2]. It builds on traditional construction project management, which primarily focuses on cost, time, and quality, by incorporating the sustainability triple bottom line of environmental, social, and economic outcomes into project decision-making [1][2]. These sustainability considerations may include embodied carbon emissions, resource depletion, construction waste, worker health and safety, social equity, and long-term economic viability. In practice, sustainable construction management can be implemented through sustainable procurement, such as selecting materials with recycled or renewable content, products with verified environmental performance, and suppliers that meet defined environmental and social criteria [1][3]. Waste-reduction measures include accurate material planning, prefabrication and modular construction, on-site separation of waste streams, reuse of materials, and recycling of construction and demolition waste [1][3]. Design and construction strategies that facilitate disassembly, adaptability, reuse, and recycling can further improve resource efficiency and reduce waste over the building life cycle [3]. Sustainability performance can be evaluated using measurable indicators such as embodied carbon emissions (kg CO₂e/m²), construction waste generation (kg/m²), the percentage of construction waste diverted from landfill, recycled or reused material content (%), energy and water consumption, and project cost and schedule performance [2][4]. Social performance may additionally be assessed through indicators related to occupational health and safety, labor conditions, and stakeholder engagement [2][4]. Life-cycle assessment and other quantified environmental assessment methods can be used to evaluate environmental performance across the life cycle of a building [5]. Integrating these indicators into project planning, procurement, construction, and post-construction evaluation provides a basis for monitoring sustainability performance while balancing environmental, social, economic, cost, time, and quality objectives [2][4].

  • sustainable construction
  • lifecycle assessment
  • green building
  • construction management

References

  1. Kibert, C.J. Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery, 4th ed.; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2016; ISBN 9781119055174. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321625714_Sustainable_Construction_Green_Building_Design_and_Delivery_4th_Edition.
  2. Richard C. Hill; Paul A. Bowen; Sustainable construction: principles and a framework for attainment. Constr. Manag. Econ. 1997, 15, 223-239, 10.1080/014461997372971.
  3. Mohammed Zajeer Ahmed; Cathal O'DOnoghue; Patrick McGetrick; Green public procurement in construction: A systematic review. Clean. Responsible Consum. 2024, 15, 100234, 10.1016/j.clrc.2024.100234.
  4. Luz Mery Díaz Caselles; Jose Guevara; Sustainability Performance in On-Site Construction Processes: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustain. 2024, 16, 1047, 10.3390/su16031047.
  5. CEN. EN 15978:2026: Sustainability of Construction Works—Assessment of Environmental Performance of Buildings—Requirements and Guidance; European Committee for Standardization: Brussels, Belgium, 2026. https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/cen/6200b514-96a9-4d5f-9e8f-ca74592f6aea/en-15978-2026?srsltid=AU7gw4WzG1AP-ExDJ4uy8oZFabnxIvYg29MdVErAxmp6xoHwzbyqGHsb.
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