MANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SUSTAINABLE BUILDING,
SAYS THE CONCRETE INSTITUTE
NEWSWORTHY
GROWTHPOINT’S PROPERTY
POINT DEVELOPS SMALL
BUSINESSES FOR ATTACQ
Nine small businesses will benefit
from strategic development as
part of an new intake by Property
Point, a Growthpoint Properties
initiative, in collaboration with
Attacq Limited.
These
businesses
have
joined
Property Point’s supplier development programme, which has been
tailored to the specific needs of
Attacq - and include landscaping,
plumbing,
cleaning,
building
maintenance, air-conditioning and
fire protection.
For the entrepreneurs, Property
Point’s
supplier
development
programme helps them build a
Concrete has a low embodied energy which is an important factor for ‘green building’,
says Bryan Perrie, managing director of The Concrete Institute.
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 900kg/ton, when used in concrete with secondary materials, the
embodied energy of concrete can be as low as 90kg/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 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.
www.theconcreteinstitute.org.za
sustainable business and sidestep
stumbling blocks that too often
result in small businesses failing. As
profitable small businesses, these
suppliers are better positioned to
grow into thriving medium-sized
and large corporations, provide
opportunities for new jobs and
support SA’s economic growth.
Since inception, it has se en almost
100 SMEs participate in its twoyear
incubation
programme.
Generating over R451 million in
procurement
these
opportunities
SMEs,
programme
Property
has
helped
for
Point’s
these
enterprises achieve a reported
revenue growth of up to 54.5%.
It has also been instrumental in
growing these small businesses to
create over 1,100 jobs, so far.
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