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october 2016
sustainable construction world
Kemp has been involved in the
design of a variety of projects that
have included hospitals, residential
apartments, hotels, airport
developments, industrial facilities,
office and retail developments –
not only in South Africa but also in
Ireland and Australia.
“It is always an honour to be
recognised for one’s contribution to
building sustainability in South Africa,
and I am especially proud to have
been awarded the Established Green
Star Award by the GBCSA. I have an
absolute passion for sustainable
design and development and the Silo
district project at the V & A Waterfront
in Cape Town is a leading example
of sustainability on a district scale.
Not only is each of the buildings
designed, built and operated on
sustainability principles, they also
share common services that enhance
efficiency, and it is project that we at
Arup are extremely proud of having
collaborated on,” says Kemp.
Perrie says embodied energy is the
energy consumed for the raw material
extraction, transportation, manufacture,
assembly, installation, disassembly and
demolition of a product system over
the duration of the product’s life. In the
case of concrete, the embodied energy
as a result of these processes is low
and the total energy - when full life-cycle
analysis is assessed – also low.
“The current average worldwide
consumption of concrete is about
one ton per year for every living
human being which, cumulatively, is
massive. It should, right at the outset,
be remembered that buildings are not
constructed out of cement but rather
from concrete, of which cement is but
one ingredient. While the embodied
energy of a pure cement is very high
at around 900 kg/ton, when used in
concrete with secondary materials, the
embodied energy of concrete can be as
low as 90 kg/ton.
“In any event, the concern about
cement’s environmental footprint also
stems from ignorance. Despite the
extensive use of concrete in the world,
worldwide, the cement industry only
accounts for about 5% of man-made
carbon dioxide emissions: about 40%
of this comes from burning coal and
60% from the calcination of limestone, ‘’
Perrie states.
He says there are generally many
Many misconceptions about
sustainable building
Concrete has a low embodied
energy which is an important
factor for ‘green building’, says
Bryan Perrie, managing director
of The Concrete Institute.
misconceptions - and inadequate
assessment ratings in place - when
it comes to establishing true
sustainability in the built environment.
“The Green Star system of the Green
Building Council in South Africa and the
LEED system in the USA, for example,
award points for various sustainability
initiatives during the design and life
of the building. Unfortunately, this
incentive often leads to chasing points
for a particular rating rather than
concentrating on real sustainability.’’
Perrie says aiming for zero levels
in primary energy consumption, carbon
emissions during construction, waste
and water consumption, coupled with
the total elimination of unsustainable
building materials, would be more
appropriate sustainability measures.
“This has now become the quest of
a few major corporations globally and,
to me, is a far more pragmatic approach
as it focuses on sustainable issues by
setting targets rather than just scoring
points. The ‘zero’ target may not be easy
to achieve but it is a worthwhile target
to strive for.”
The Concrete Institute also believes
that not enough attention is being
paid to the “use phase’’ of a building
or structure, which stretches from
the initial extraction/production/
construction phase right through to the
end of life of the structure.
“Research has shown that the long-
term, cumulative benefits of considering
the whole life cycle of structures are
staggering. This is a factor that simply
cannot be ignored when it comes
to assessing true sustainability in
building,” Perrie adds.
Concrete’s low embodied energy contributes to sustainable building, says The Concrete Institute.
Established
Green Star
award winner
Jaco Kemp, sustainable
buildings specialist at Arup,
has won the 2016 Established
Green Star Award by the
Green Buildings Council of
South Africa (GBCSA) for his
continued contribution to the
green building economy.
Jaco Kemp, sustainable buildings
specialist at Arup.