Sustainable construction: life cycle energy analysis of construction on sloping sites for residential buildings

Abstract

In 2010, the Australian residential construction sector contributed about 28% of the value of all construction and was responsible for 8% of the total energy consumption. Residential construction will continue to increase to cope with the demand due to population growth. Owing to land scarcity, construction on sloping sites has become a common construction method for residential development in Australia. This method has economic benefits but poses environmental issues as it damages topsoil, disturbs natural drainage and groundwater pathways and imposes additional stress on soil under fill. The life cycle energy consumption of the construction process is examined in relation to residential projects on sloping sites on a range of slopes and soil types in New South Wales, Australia. Forty-one detached dwellings were selected and a service life of 60 years assumed for the study. The research findings reveal that the slope for each type of soil has a positive correlation with life cycle energy consumption. As part of the onsite construction process, the results also show that the energy consumption of construction on sloping sites plays a significant factor in the life cycle energy analysis of a building.

Keywords:

• Construction process
• detached dwelling
• energy consumption

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank their school at the University of Technology Sydney, the industry partners in assisting data collection and the Forest and Wood Product Australia for their financial and other support for this work.

Notes

1. H5 is a commonly used timber treatment in Australia to protect timber against severe decay, termites and borers.