Need for Environmental Friendly Materials for Building Construction in Anambra State
Chapter One
RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
This study aims to examine the need for the use of environmentally friendly materials for building construction in Anambra State.
With the following objectives.
To identify the negative impacts on the environment by the use of unfriendly building materials.
To evaluate the effects of using environmentally friendly materials for building construction.
To ascertain the characteristics that determine the environmental sustainability of a given building material.
To articulate the benefits of using environmentally friendly materials for building construction.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
In this chapter, relevant literature related to the present study were reviewed, they were presented under the following heading:
Negative Impacts
- Negative impacts on the environment by the use of unfriendly building materials.
- Effects of using environmentally friendly materials for building construction.
- The characteristics that determine the environmental sustainability of a given building materials.
- Derivable benefits in using environmentally friendly materials for building constructions.
Negative impacts on the environment by the use of unfriendly building materials.
Extraction of raw materials.
The use of unfriendly building materials has huge ecological consequences in the process of it extraction which result in loss of wildlife habitat, erosion, shortage of water and air pollution and waste generation. The machines used for gathering raw materials burn fossil fuel and produce toxic emissions such as carbon monoxide, carbondioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide that contribute to global warming and acid rains, fuel from the machinery may get into the ground water thus polluting the drinking supplies. This means that just the process of extraction itself is responsible for air and water pollution (Anamariya 2012 p6).
There are two types of natural sources of building materials: finite and renewable. Renewable resources are unlimited and they can be naturally replaced with the passage of time (e.g wood). However only the rapidly renewable resources are considered environmentally friendly, i.e materials that have a harvest cycle of 10 years or less (eg bamboo, straw, cork, wool, linoleum, poplar OSB, etc). Anamariya 2012:p7).
Finite resources are of limited quantity and they will eventually run out. They are extracted from the earth’s crust via mining or quarry activities (eg stones, metals). After the extraction, the ore is purified and the unwanted locks is removed. Then the metal oxides is reduced to a mixture of metals that is refined to obtain pure metal. After all these steps, the metal is ready to be sent to the factory for production of building materials. Each of these process produces a large amount of toxic waste.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter focuses on the method and produce adopted for the purpose of achieving the aims of this research work. It is presented under the following subheadings.
SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION
The sources of data collection used were both primary and secondary data.
PRIMARY DATA
The primary data were gathered through:
Field survey: This was done through oral interviews.
Questionnaire: Questionnaire copies were administered to get reliable data for the study.
Secondary Data
This is the information gathered from exiting literature, text book, references to professionals, conferences / seminars paper reports published and unpublished academic materials considered relevant to the study.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
The population of the study comprises of big construction firms, building materials manufacturers, environment managers in Anambra state, especially those that have had more the 5 years of active construction engagements.
CHAPTER FOUR
CAST STUDY/DATA PRESENTATION / ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
CASE STUDY PRESENTATION
In this chapter, data collected for the purpose of answering the research questions posed and testing of the hypotheses formulated in the study are presented and analyzed. The findings are presented according to the research questions and hypotheses.
CHAPTER FIVE
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The sub-areas of this chapter one made up of the following:
- Findings
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The major findings of the study are as follow: The various negative impacts on the environment by the use of unfriendly building materials.
* Toxic emission
* Soil erosion
* Loss of wildlife habitat
* Harmful to human health
* Global warming
* Generations of construction waste
* Loss of energy
The effects of using environmentally friendly materials for building constructions
* Resource efficiency
* Renewability
* Locally availability
* Reusability
* Energy conservation
* Improve indoor Air quality
The characteristics that determine the environmental sustainability of a given building materials
* Pollution prevention
* Recycled content
* Life-cycle Analysis
* Embodied Energy measurement
* Transportation factors
* Manufacturing process
* Extraction process
* Biodegradability
The derivable benefits in using environmentally friendly materials for building construction.
* Reusability
* Recyclability
* Biodegradability
* Waste Reduction
* Energy efficiency
* Cost saving
* Reduce Toxic emissions
Based on the findings of the study, the following:
Conclusions are made …..(1) Environmental unfriendly building materials has a serious negative impacts on the environment, as such it cannot be neglected in any case, because our environment is our most prized possession.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study and the conclusions drawn from it, the following recommendations are made:
Federal and (Anambra) State Government should be concerned about the climate changes and the global warming by improving they legislation in building industry, that will set up a high standards in choosing a building materials that is environmental friendly.
Proper assessment of a material should be done to examine the environmental impact of the material at every stage of its life-cycle.
Building materials should be sourced locally in other to reduce long-distance transportation.
REFERENCES
- Anamariya Kozarova, Building material and environment November 13, 2012.
- Berge B. 2000, The Ecology of Building materials, the Bath Press,
- Bath Kim JJ & Rigdon, B 1998, sustainable Architecture Module: Qualities, use and examples of sustainable Building Materials, National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education, Ann Arbor (USA).
- Denison, J & Halligan, C. 2010, The Stephen George & Partners guide to: Building materials and the environment, 2nd edn, available to download at:
- http://www.stephengeorge.co.uk/index/php?option=com k2&view=item&layout=item&id=119&itemid=99
- D’M Roodman and N. Lenssen, A building Revolution: How Ecology and Health concerns are transforming construction, world watch paper 124 worldwatch paper 124 worldwatch institute, Washington, D.C, March 1995, P.5. (back)
- lynn M. Frceschle, “Environmental Assessment and specification of green Building materials”, the construction specifier, October 1999, p 53 (back)