Publisher: The Construction Industry Institute, Austin, Texas

Research Report: RR49-1

Length: 263 Pages

Publication Date: September 1995

The increasing importance of sustainable development is making it imperative for companies in the industrial construction sector to increase their understanding of the topic and include environmental and social considerations in the construction of capital projects.

This primer was written for members of the industrial construction industry in the following sectors: manufacturing, mining, mineral and metals, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, pulp and paper, power, and utilities. The primer provides information on sustainable development practices to help members of firms evaluate the sustainability of projects.

A companion Implementation Report (IR 250-3) contains four tools to help evaluate sustainability: 1) a Checklist for Sustainable Construction Job Sites, 2) a Quick State Guide, 3) Maturity Models, and 4) an Industrial Sustainability Index Metric (ISIM).

This primer includes information on the forces driving the implementation of sustainability practices including government regulations and international treaties. Economic models are also discussed that could be used for life-cycle cost assessments. The primer mentions the results of a survey that investigated 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 CII Research Report Number 250-11.

One chapter presents information on alternative sustainable materials and processes and another discusses the types of sustainability issues that are being addressed in other countries, along with some of the mitigation strategies that are being used to try to prevent the environmental consequences of construction operations from pre-planning through facility end of life.

Table of Contents

Design and Construction for Sustainability for Industrial Construction. Sustainability Initiatives and Impacts of Industrial Construction Operations. Environmental Laws and Their Implications. Life-Cycle Cost Assessment Models. Country Specific Sustainability Issues. Sustainable Construction Material Alternatives and Processes. Conclusions and Recommendations. Checklist for Sustainable Industrial Construction Job Sites. List of Commonly Used Acronyms Related to Sustainability Practices.